Where does “wardship” come from?

Wardship derives from Middle English -schipe and Old English -scipe, combined with Proto-Germanic wardō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer-.

wardship (English): The state of being a ward of someone; In English...

Definitions

  1. The state of being a ward of someone; In English...

Ancestry of “wardship”, step by step

wardship traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English ship

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishshipA water-borne vessel generally larger than a...
2EnglishrelationshipConnection or association; the condition of being...
3EnglishrelationThe manner in which two things may be associated;...
4Middle Englishrelacion
5Old Frenchrelacion
6Latinrelātiōcarrying or bringing back
7Latinreferōto bear, bring, drive, or carry back, off, or away
8Latinrĕ-back, backwards
9Latinprōdūcōto lead or bring forth, forward or out
10Latinprō-forward direction, forward movement
11Proto-Italic*pro-pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings
12Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-toward, forward
13Proto-Indo-Europeanpor-to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
14Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
15Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

via English ward

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwardA warden; a guard; a guardian or watchman;...
2Middle Englishwardward, keeping
3Old Englishweardguard; guard, the action of looking out for...
4Old Englishōraore, unwrought metal
5Old Englishēarsea, ocean; grave, earth
6Proto-Germanicahazear
7Proto-Finnicahtasnarrow, cramped
8Proto-Balticanśtas
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂énǵʰusnarrow, tight
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enǵʰ-to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós