Where does “fondling” come from?
Fondling derives from English fond, from Latin fundus, from Proto-Indo-European bʰudʰ-mn and dʰewh₂-, with the root sense relating to foundational or base elements.
fondling (English): A foolish person; A pet or person who is fondled;...
Definitions
- A foolish person; A pet or person who is fondled;...
Ancestry of “fondling”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fondle | To touch or stroke lovingly; To grasp |
| 2 | English | -le | A frequentative suffix of verbs, indicating... |
| 3 | Middle English | -el | — |
| 4 | Old French | -el | Suffix that usually denotes a masculine noun |
| 5 | Latin | -ellus | Alternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine... |
| 6 | Latin | -ulus | Used to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -olos | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | -elos | Forms desubstantival and deadjectival diminutive nouns |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -e-lós | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |