Goddaughter
/ˈɡɒdˌdɔːtər/noun
A female child sponsored at baptism by a godparent, or a woman in a special mentoring relationship to another.
Did you know?The word comes from Christian baptismal kinship, where a godparent was expected to answer for the child’s soul, making the relationship both social and spiritual.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰugh₂tḗr
“daughter”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*duhtēr
“daughter”
Old English
OE
dohtor
“daughter”
Old English
OE
gōd
“good; godly; divine”
Middle English
ME
goddoughter
“a female baptismal godchild”
Modern English
English
goddaughter
“a female child sponsored at baptism, or a woman in a special mentoring relationship”