Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “motherling” come from?

motherling (English) comes from English mother, from Middle English modren, from Middle English -en, from Old English -en, from Old Norse -inn, from Proto-Norse -īna-, from Proto-Germanic -īnaz, from Proto-Indo-European -iHnos — adjectival suffix.

motherling (English): A mother, especially a precious one; A woman's...

Definitions

  1. A mother, especially a precious one; A woman's...

Ancestry of “motherling”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmotherA female who has given birth to a baby; A human...
2Middle Englishmodrenplural of moder
3Middle English-enDenotes the past participle form when attached to...
4Old English-enmæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;...
5Old Norse-innUsed to create adjectives from nouns, meaning...
6Proto-Norse-īna-—
7Proto-Germanic-īnaz-en
8Proto-Indo-European-iHnosCreates adjectives of materials
9Proto-Indo-European-no-adjectival suffix
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -no- →