Where does “babysitten” come from?
babysitten (German) comes from English babysit, from English babysitter, from English baby, from Middle English baby, from Middle English -y, from Old English -iġ, from Proto-West Germanic -g, from Proto-Germanic -gaz — -y, -ic.
babysitten (German): babysit (to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money)
Definitions
- babysit (to watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money)
Ancestry of “babysitten”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | babysit | To watch or tend someone else's child for a... |
| 2 | English | babysitter | A person who cares for one or more babies or... |
| 3 | English | baby | A very young human, particularly from birth to a... |
| 4 | Middle English | baby | A child or baby |
| 5 | Middle English | -y | Designates an adjective, in many cases formed by... |
| 6 | Old English | -iġ | -y, -ic |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | -g | Forms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -gaz | -y |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -ḱos | -y, -ic |