Etymograph

English

stepchild

Stepchild comes from Old English ċild ‘child’, from Proto-Germanic *kelþaz ‘womb’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gelt-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gelt-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kelþaz‘womb’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*kilþreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150ċild‘child’
  5. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150stēopċild
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500stepchild
  7. Englishearliest quotation 2024same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gelt-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kelþaz‘womb’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*kilþreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150ċild‘child’
  5. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150stēopċild
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500stepchild
  7. Englishearliest quotation 2024same form

Earliest quotation: 2024, Charles M. Blow, Kamala Harris Isn’t Americans’ ‘Momala.’ She’s Our Vice Pres: “On Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on “The…”

Formed from step- + child

Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewp- ‘to push, strike’

Proto-Germanic *steupa- ‘orphaned, step-’

Proto-West Germanic *steupa-

English step-

Proto-Indo-European *ǵelt- ‘womb’

Proto-Germanic *kelþaz ‘womb’

Proto-West Germanic *kilþ

Old English ċild

Middle English child ‘a child’

English child

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *gel- ‘to ball up, amass’

clean, cold, cloud, globe, gel, jelly, cluster, chill, clout, clot, gelatin, clough, gelato, glebe, ganglion, clod, globus, klutz, globulin, 44 more

through Proto-Indo-European *gelt-

colt, 5 more

through Old English ċild ‘child’

children, childhood, childish, childless, childe, 5 more

Today it means

noun The child of one's spouse from a previous relationship.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gelt- / stepchild

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