Childhood
/ˈtʃaɪld.hʊd/noun
The period of life from birth to puberty or adulthood.
Did you know?The suffix -hood comes from Old English *hād*, meaning a state, rank, or condition, the same ancient idea behind words like *brotherhood* and *godhead*.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
cildhād
“the state or condition of being a child”
Middle English
ME
childhood
“childhood; the time of being a child”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kiltham?
“the child concept is inherited from a Germanic root; exact early form is uncertain in the compound history”
Old English
OE
cild
“child; infant”
Modern English
English
childhood
“the period of life from birth to puberty or adulthood”
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