Etymograph

English

hantle

Hantle may come from Middle English *antel.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*anteluncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1932hantle

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*anteluncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1932hantle

Earliest quotation: 1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song (A Scots Quair): “An Irish creature, Erbert Ellison was the name, ran…”

The story

Perhaps from Middle English *antel, *antæl, from Old English *antæl, *andtæl, equivalent to and- + tale (‘number’); or more likely of North Germanic origin, related to Swedish antal, Danish antal (‘a number, multitude’), Dutch aantal (‘a number, a great many’), and German Anzahl (‘a number, quantity, multitude’). The addition of initial h is believed to be due to influence from Middle English handfull (‘handful’).

Every English word from Middle English *antel

Today it means

noun A considerable number or quantity; a great many; a great deal.

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

Etymograph / Middle English *antel / hantle

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