Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “godson” come from?

Godson comes from Middle English godsone, from Old English godsunu, literally meaning "god's son."

godson (English): A male child whose baptism is sponsored by a...

Definitions

  1. A male child whose baptism is sponsored by a...

Ancestry of “godson”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishGodA being such as a monotheistic God: a single...
2Middle EnglishgodA god or deity; a divine individual; A person...
3Old Englishgōda good thing, advantage, benefit, gift; good,...
4Proto-West Germanicgōdgood
5Proto-Germanicgudąinvoked one; god, deity
6Proto-Germanicgastizstranger, guest
7Proto-Indo-Europeangʰóstisstranger, host
8Proto-Indo-European-tisDerives abstract/action nouns from verb roots
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tis →