English
enfantement
Enfantement comes from French enfantement ‘childbirth’, from enfanter ‘to give birth’, and ultimately from Old French enfant ‘child’.
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400enfant‘child’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form‘child’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘child’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentenfanter‘to give birth’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentenfantement‘childbirth’
- Englishearliest quotation 1919same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400enfant‘child’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form‘child’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘child’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentenfanter‘to give birth’
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentenfantement‘childbirth’
- Englishearliest quotation 1919same form
Earliest quotation: 1919, Ronald Firbank, Valmouth: “Which? She's expecting a second enfantement, you know, immediately...Oh,…”
Linked words
through Latin fāns ‘speaking’
through Latin īnfāns ‘childish, foolish’
Today it means
noun The act of giving birth.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old French enfant / enfantement