nursemaid
UK[ˈnɜːsmeɪd]US[ˈnɜːrsmeɪd]
n
a woman or girl employed to look after a young child or children.
Morpheme Breakdown
nurse
maid
nurse
to care for
maid
young woman
Etymology
the word 'nursemaid' is a transparent compound formed within english from two existing anglo-saxon and norman french elements. 'nurse' derives from the latin verb nutrire, meaning to nourish or suckle, which entered english via norman french. 'maid' is of old english origin, referring to a young woman or female servant. the compound logically combines the function of providing care ('nurse') with the designation of the servant performing it ('maid'), creating a specific term for a female childcare servant. this pattern of combining a verb-like element with an agent noun is common in english, similar to 'housemaid' or 'milkmaid'.
Analysis
Structure: nurse (to care for) + maid (young woman)
nurse: from old french norice, from latin nutricia (nurse, nourisher), from nutrire (to nourish). functions as the core semantic element denoting care. maid: from middle english maide, short for maiden, from old english mægden (girl, virgin). functions as the agent noun specifying the person performing the role.
Examples
the wealthy family hired a nursemaid to care for their infant daughter.
in the victorian era, a nursemaid was a common position in large households.
the children were left in the trusted hands of their nursemaid for the afternoon.