Other forms: foundlings
A foundling is an abandoned child found and taken in. A foundling hospital, raised as a foundling, the foundling was named.
The Foundling Hospital in London took in babies from 1741, and mothers left a token so a child might be reclaimed — the tokens survive and are among the most affecting objects in any museum. Note the -ling ending, naming a small or young one, as in duckling and yearling.
1nounfoundlingAn abandoned child found and taken in.
“The foundling was left on the church steps in a basket and raised by the nuns.”
foundling is an abandoned child.
Middle English foundlyng is found plus -ling, an ending naming a young one. Duckling is formed the same way.
Middle English
foundlyng
English, today
foundling
From Middle English foundlyng, fondeyng, variants of Middle English fyndling, fyndlyng. by surface analysis, en + found + ling.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA