Etymology Map
Back to all words

Child

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means a young human being

Where does the word "child" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic kilþą, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
kilþą
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"offspring"
perhaps from a root meaning womb, as in Gothic 'kilþei'
2
Stage 2 of 3
cild
Old English · 700s-1000s
"child"
its plural 'cildru' gained an extra '-en', making 'children' a double plural
3
Stage 3 of 3
child
English · 1500s
"young person"
the old sense 'young noble' survives in the spelling of Byron's 'Childe Harold'
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Child’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: kilþą meant “offspring.” Perhaps from a root meaning womb, as in Gothic 'kilþei'. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as cild. Its plural 'cildru' gained an extra '-en', making 'children' a double plural. It reached English by 1500s as child. The old sense 'young noble' survives in the spelling of Byron's 'Childe Harold'. Today, child means a young human being.