stepbairn

The story

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*steupabarną“stepchild”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*steupabarn
3. Old English · inherited fromstēopbearn“orphan”
4. Middle English · inherited fromstepbarn“orphan”
5. English todaystepbairn

From Middle English stepbarn (“orphan”), from Old English stēopbearn (“orphan”), from Proto-West Germanic *steupabarn, from Proto-Germanic *steupabarną (“stepchild”), equivalent to step- + bairn. Cognate with Old High German stiofbarn (“stepchild”), Norwegian stebarn (“stepchild”) Danish stedbarn (“stepchild”), Swedish styvbarn (“stepchild”), Icelandic stjúpbarn (“stepchild”).