Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “breastfeed” come from?

Breastfeed combines English breast, from Middle English brest, Old Norse brestr, and Proto-Germanic fōdijaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥stís meaning "burst" or "swell," with feed denoting nourishment.

breastfeed (English): To feed milk via the breasts; to suckle; to...

Definitions

  1. To feed milk via the breasts; to suckle; to...

Ancestry of “breastfeed”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbreastEither of the two organs on the front of a female...
2Middle Englishbrestchest, thorax; The breast in several contexts;...
3Old Englishbrēostchest
4Proto-West Germanicbreustbreast, chest
5Proto-Germanicbreustąbreast, chest
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrews-to break

Words derived from “breastfeed”

  • breastfeeding
  • nonbreastfeeding
  • breastfeeder
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰrews- →