Where does “foster” come from?

foster (Middle English) comes from Old English fōstor, from Proto-West Germanic *fōstr, from Proto-Germanic fōstrą, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.

foster (Middle English): A child; one of one's progeny

Definitions

  1. A child; one of one's progeny

Ancestry of “foster”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishfōstorfostering, nourishing, rearing, feeding
2Proto-West Germanic*fōstr—
3Proto-Germanicfōstrąfostering
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂-to protect; to shepherd

Words derived from “foster”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- →Every word from Proto-Germanic fōstrą →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *fōstr →