Step-parenthood is the relationship established by the remarriage of a parent (Parents) between that parent’s children and his or her new spouse. The etymological derivation of the term is from OE steop-, connoting deprivation (e.g. steopcild, “orphan”; compare astiepan, “to bereave”), and was common to all the Germanic languages (compare German Stief- from OHG stiof, “orphaned”; Swedish styv- from styva, “to deprive”). This form of successive family reconstruction with monogamy preserved was seen to differing degrees throughout early modern histo…