Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “nurturance” come from?

Nurturance comes from English nurture plus the French suffix -ance, from Latin -antia denoting a state or condition, ultimately from Latin nutrire meaning to feed or nourish.

nurturance (English): The provision of physical and emotional care

Definitions

  1. The provision of physical and emotional care

Ancestry of “nurturance”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnurtureThe act of nourishing or nursing; tender care;...
2Middle EnglishnortureSustenance, comestibles, diet; The bringing up of...
3Old Frenchnorriturefood
4Late Latinnutrituranourishment; nominative feminine singular of...
5Latinnutrirepresent active infinitive of nūtriō;...
6LatinnutrioI suckle, breastfeed, nurse
7Proto-Italicsnoutrjō—
8Proto-Indo-Europeansnew-tr-ih₂female nurser
9Proto-Indo-European(s)neh₂-to swim; to float
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)neh₂- →