hantle

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Of obscure origin. 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).

Noun

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hantle (plural hantles)

  1. (Scotland, northern UK) A considerable number or quantity; a great many; a great deal.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:lot
    • 1932, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song (A Scots Quair), Polygon, published 2006, page 15:
      An Irish creature, Erbert Ellison was the name, ran the place for the trustees, he said, but if you might believe all the stories you heard he ran a hantle more silver into his own pouch than he ran into theirs.

Anagrams

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