Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “childbearing” come from?

Childbearing derives from Middle English childbering, from Middle English child, from Old English ċild, from Proto-Germanic kelþaz, from Proto-Indo-European gelt-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gel-.

childbearing (English): The process of giving birth; pregnancy and...

Definitions

  1. The process of giving birth; pregnancy and...

Ancestry of “childbearing”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishchildberyngThe state of being pregnant; The process of...
2Middle EnglishchildA baby, infant, toddler; a person in infancy; A...
3Old Englishċildchild, youth; fetus; female baby; child
4Proto-Germanickelþazfetus; newborn; infant; child
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵelt-womb
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵel-to swallow; swallow

Words derived from “childbearing”

  • nonchildbearing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- →