Where does “underfull” come from?

underfull (Norwegian Bokmål) comes from English full, from Middle English fúl, from Old English full, from Proto-West Germanic full, from Proto-Germanic fullaz, from Proto-Indo-European pl̥h₁nós, from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- — to fill.

underfull (Norwegian Bokmål): supernatural, miraculous; awe-inspiring,...

Definitions

  1. supernatural, miraculous; awe-inspiring,...

Ancestry of “underfull”, step by step

underfull traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English full

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfullContaining the maximum possible amount that can...
2Middle Englishfúlvery; much; to a great extent
3Old Englishfullfull, filled, complete, entire; a beaker; a cup,...
4Proto-West Germanicfullfull
5Proto-Germanicfullazfull; the whole, the entire
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpl̥h₁nósfull
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₁-to fill

via Norwegian Bokmål full

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Bokmålfullfull; drunk
2Danishfuldfull; complete; drunk
3Old Norsefullrfull

via Norwegian Bokmål under

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Norwegian Bokmålunderbelow; beneath; during; under
2Old Norseundirunder, underneath
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁-Every word from Proto-Indo-European pl̥h₁nósEvery word from Proto-Germanic fullaz
underfull — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer