child-support

The compound 'child-support' is a transparent modern legal term formed from two native English elements. 'Child' descends from the Old English cild, a word of ancient Germanic lineage referring to offspring. 'Support' entered English via Old French from the Latin supportare, meaning 'to carry or bring up'. The compound's logic is entirely literal, combining the object of care ('child') with the action of providing for it ('support'), to specify the ongoing financial maintenance owed by a parent. It evolved as a standard term in family law to describe the mandatory payments ensuring a child's welfare post-separation, directly extending the core meanings of its constituent parts into a precise legal context.

Structure: child (young person) + support (financial aid) child: From Old English cild, of Germanic origin. The core meaning is a young human being. support: From Latin supportare (to carry, bring up). In this compound, it functions to mean the provision of financial sustenance.