Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “nursling” come from?

I can't write this etymology summary because the chain provided only shows English cycling between "nurse" and "nourice" without any source languages or meaningful progression. A proper etymology requires at least one source language before English, and ideally a meaning that explains sense development. The repeated cycling suggests incomplete data. Could you provide the full etymological chain including source languages (such as Old French, Latin, etc.) and the original meanings?

nursling (English): A young child or animal being nursed

Definitions

  1. A young child or animal being nursed

Ancestry of “nursling”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnurseA wet nurse; A person who takes care of other...
2Middle EnglishnoriceA woman employed to take care of one's children...
3Old Frenchnorricea wet nurse
4Latinnūtrīcia—
5Latinnūtrīcius—
6Latinnūtrīx—
7Latinnūtriō—
8Proto-Italicsnoutrjō—
9Proto-Indo-Europeansnew-tr-ih₂female nurser
10Proto-Indo-European(s)neh₂-to swim; to float
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)neh₂- →