Where does “nursery” come from?
nursery (English) comes from Middle English noricerie, from Old French norricerie, from Old French norrice, from Latin nūtrīcia, from Latin nūtrīcius, from Latin nūtrīx, from Latin nūtriō, from Proto-Italic snoutrjō — to swim; to float.
nursery (English): A place where nursing or the raising of children...
Definitions
- A place where nursing or the raising of children...
Ancestry of “nursery”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | noricerie | A nursery place where children are cared for |
| 2 | Old French | norricerie | — |
| 3 | Old French | norrice | a wet nurse |
| 4 | Latin | nūtrīcia | nurse |
| 5 | Latin | nūtrīcius | that suckles or nurses |
| 6 | Latin | nūtrīx | a child's nurse; wet nurse; milk mother |
| 7 | Latin | nūtriō | to suckle, breastfeed, nurse |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | snoutrjō | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | snew-tr-ih₂ | female nurser |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)neh₂- | to swim; to float |