Where does “stepchild” come from?
stepchild (Middle English) comes from Old English stēopċild, from Old English ċild, from Proto-Germanic kelþaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵelt-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- — to swallow; swallow.
Ancestry of “stepchild”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | stēopċild | stepchild |
| 2 | Old English | ċild | child, youth; fetus; female baby; child |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | kelþaz | fetus; newborn; infant; child |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵelt- | womb |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵel- | to swallow; swallow |
Words derived from “stepchild”