Where does “hondful” come from?
hondful (Middle English) comes from Old English handful, from Proto-Germanic handufullō, from Proto-Germanic fullaz, from Proto-Indo-European pl̥h₁nós, from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- — to fill.
Ancestry of “hondful”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | handful | handful |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | handufullō | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | fullaz | full; the whole, the entire |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | pl̥h₁nós | full |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pleh₁- | to fill |