Etymograph

English

fill

Fill comes from Old English fyllan ‘to fill’, from Proto-Germanic *fullijaną ‘to make full’, from *fullaz ‘full’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- ‘to fill’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleh₁-‘to fill’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pl̥h₁nós‘full’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fullaz‘full’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fullijaną‘to make full’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fullijan‘to fill’reconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150fyllan‘to fill’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fillen‘to fill up’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1611fill

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleh₁-‘to fill’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pl̥h₁nós‘full’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fullaz‘full’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fullijaną‘to make full’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fullijan‘to fill’reconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150fyllan‘to fill’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fillen‘to fill up’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1611fill

Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “Whence should we have so much bread in the…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- ‘to fill’

people, public, complete, popular, plus, supply, completion, folk, implement, accomplish, comply, supplement, poll, manipulation, complement, plural, plethora, depletion, replete, puri, deplete, plebs, volk, plebeian, 75 more

through Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁nós ‘full’

plenty, plain, ample, amplitude, amplify, plenary, replenish, plenum, 21 more

through Proto-Germanic *fullaz ‘full’

full, fulsome, 5 more

Another origin of fill

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pleh₁-‘to fill’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pl̥h₁nós‘full’reconstructedoriginal past participle of *pleh₁-
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fullaz‘full (not empty)’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fullį̄‘fullness’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fullī‘fullness’reconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150fyllu‘one's fill, fulness of food or drink’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fille‘a sufficient amount’
  8. Englishtodayfill

Today it means

verb To add contents to (a container, cavity, or the like) so that it is full.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- / fill

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