Where does “fosterage” come from?

fosterage (English) comes from English Foster, from Middle English foster, from Old English fōstor, from Proto-West Germanic *fōstr, from Proto-Germanic fōstrą, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.

fosterage (English): The act of fostering another's child as if it...

Definitions

  1. The act of fostering another's child as if it...

Ancestry of “fosterage”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishFosterA placename
2Middle EnglishfosterA child; one of one's progeny
3Old Englishfōstorfostering, nourishing, rearing, feeding
4Proto-West Germanic*fōstr—
5Proto-Germanicfōstrąfostering
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂-to protect; to shepherd
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- →Every word from Proto-Germanic fōstrą →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *fōstr →