Etymology

foundling

F4O1U1N1D2L1I1N1G2

Today it means: An abandoned child, left by its parent(s), often a baby left at a convent or similar safe place. Full definition →

Middle English foundlyng
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The story

  1. Middle English · derived fromfyndling
  2. Middle English · inherited fromfoundlyng
  3. English todayfoundling

From Middle English foundlyng, fondeyng, variants of Middle English fyndling, fyndlyng. By surface analysis, found + -ling.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.