Parent Comes From the Verb to Give Birth
A parent is a mother or father. The Latin root is bringing forth, which also gives us parturition and repertoire.
A parent is a mother or father. The Latin *parens* is a participle of *parere*, to bring forth or give birth — so a parent is literally one who brings forth. The same verb gives *parturition*, the medical word for childbirth, and *puerperal*. The verb use, meaning to raise a child, is a twentieth-century development.
- A mother or father. *A single parent.*
- A source or origin. *The parent company.*
- To raise a child. *Parenting classes.*
- Parental — of parents. *Parental leave.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | parent | A proud parent. |
| Plural | parents | Both parents. |
| Verb | parent | Parenting a teenager. |
| Adjective | parental | Parental consent. |
| Related | parturition | Normal parturition. |
How it is used in a sentence
- A parent company owns subsidiaries.Business.
- Parenting became a verb in the twentieth century.A recent development.
- Parturition is the medical term for birth.From the same root.
Words from *parere*, to bring forth
- Parent — one who brings forth
- Parturition — the act of giving birth
- Postpartum — after childbirth
- Repertoire — through a related sense of finding or producing
- Viviparous and oviparous — bearing live young and laying eggs
From Old French *parent*, from Latin *parentem*, from *parere*, to bring forth or produce.
Is *parent* really a verb?
It has been used as one since the twentieth century, and *parenting* is now entirely standard, though some object to the noun-to-verb shift.
What is a parent company?
A company that controls one or more subsidiaries, usually by owning a majority of their shares.