Hantle
/ˈhantəl/noun
A considerable quantity or amount, chiefly in Scots and northern English dialects.
Did you know?“Hantle” is generally understood as a dialectal reduction or alteration of “handful,” preserving an ancient human habit of measuring quantity with the body.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*man-
“A reconstructed root associated with the hand.”
Old English
Old English
handfull
“As much as the hand could hold.”
Middle English
Middle English
handful / hantel
“A handful or a quantity held in the hand; regional forms varied.”
Early Modern English
English
hantle
“A dialectal form used for a quantity or amount.”
Modern English
Scots / Northern English
hantle
“A considerable quantity, often in expressions such as “a hantle o’.””
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