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
- To feed milk via the breasts; to suckle; to...
Ancestry of “breastfeed”, step by step
breastfeed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English breast
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | breast | Either of the two organs on the front of a female... |
| 2 | Middle English | brest | chest, thorax; The breast in several contexts;... |
| 3 | Old English | brēost | chest |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | breust | breast, chest |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | breustą | breast, chest |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrews- | to break |
via English feed
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | feed | To give food to eat; To eat; To give to as... |
| 2 | Galician | feden | third-person plural present indicative of feder |
| 3 | Old English | fēdan | to feed |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *fōdijan | to feed |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fōdijaną | to feed; to give birth |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂- | to protect; to shepherd |