Where does “fatherling” come from?

fatherling (English) comes from English father, from Middle English fader, from Old English fæder, from Proto-West Germanic fader, from Proto-Germanic fadēr, from Proto-Indo-European ph₂tḗr, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.

fatherling (English): A father; A father's child

Definitions

  1. A father; A father's child

Ancestry of “fatherling”, step by step

fatherling traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English father

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfatherA male who begets a child; A male ancestor more...
2Middle EnglishfaderA father; the male direct ancestor of someone or...
3Old Englishfæderfather
4Proto-West Germanicfaderfather
5Proto-Germanicfadērfather
6Proto-Indo-Europeanph₂tḗrfather
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂-to protect; to shepherd

via English Ling

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishLingAny of various codlike saltwater fish often used as food by humans, those of the genus Molva, in the family Lotidae
2Middle EnglishlingAny of various varieties of heather or broom
3Old Norselyngheather, ling
4Proto-Germaniclingwąheather, ling
5Proto-Indo-Europeanlengʷʰom
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlengʷʰ-light, agile, nimble; light, not heavy, agile,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂-Every word from Proto-Indo-European ph₂tḗrEvery word from Proto-Germanic fadēr