Where does “children” come from?
children (Middle English) comes from Middle English childre, from Old English ċildru, from Old English ċild, from Proto-Germanic kelþaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵelt-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- — to swallow; swallow.
children (Middle English): plural of child
Ancestry of “children”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | childre | plural of child |
| 2 | Old English | ċildru | — |
| 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 “children”