English
fosterling
Fosterling comes from Old English fōstorling ‘foster child’, from fōstor ‘food’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- ‘to protect’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peh₂-‘to protect’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fōstrą‘fostering’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fōstrreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150fōstor‘food’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150fōstorling‘foster child’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fosterling
- Englishearliest quotation 1904same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peh₂-‘to protect’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fōstrą‘fostering’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fōstrreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150fōstor‘food’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150fōstorling‘foster child’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fosterling
- Englishearliest quotation 1904same form
Earliest quotation: 1904, Unknown: “'We know him indeed, this boy,' said Conall Cernach,…”
Formed from foster + -ling
Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- ‘to protect’
Proto-Germanic *fōstrą ‘nourishment, food’
Proto-West Germanic *fōstr
Old English fōstor ‘food, sustenance’
Middle English foster
English foster
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- ‘to protect’
company, food, father, pain, feed, pope, apparent, pattern, companion, fur, papa, pastor, patron, patriot, penetration, fad, accompaniment, pasture, perpetrator, padre, fodder, ayr, paternal, paternity, forage, patrician, patrimony, panini, pav, père, perpetrate, pater, pantaloons, compere, pannier, 60 more
Today it means
noun a foster child
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- / fosterling