Where does “birthweight” come from?

Birthweight derives from Middle English wight and Old English byrþen, which trace through Old French bourde to Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- and bʰer-, both meaning to carry or bear.

birthweight (English): The amount that a baby weighs at the time of...

Definitions

  1. The amount that a baby weighs at the time of...

Ancestry of “birthweight”, step by step

birthweight traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English birth

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbirthThe process of childbearing; the beginning of...
2Middle Englishbirthen
3Old Englishbyrþenburden
4Proto-West Germanicburþiniburden
5Proto-West Germanicburþīburden
6Proto-Germanicburþį̄burden
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰēr-shiny, light brown

via English weight

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishweightThe force on an object due to the gravitational...
2Middle Englishweight
3Old Englishwihtcreature, person, thing, being; weight
4LatinVectisIsle of Wight
5Proto-Celticwextātime, course, turn
6Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵʰ-to bring; to transport
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr-