Where does “stepchild” come from?
Stepchild comes from Old English stēopċild, a compound of stēop- (related to the concept of loss or bereavement) and ċild meaning child.
stepchild (English): The child of one's spouse but not one's own; A...
Definitions
- The child of one's spouse but not one's own; A...
Ancestry of “stepchild”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | stepchild | stepchild child of a spouse |
| 2 | Old English | stēopċild | stepchild |
| 3 | Old English | ċild | child, youth; fetus; female baby; child |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kelþaz | fetus; newborn; infant; child |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵelt- | womb |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵel- | to swallow; swallow |
Words derived from “stepchild”