<P> A "simple" stepfamily is one in which only one member of the couple has a prior child or children and the couple has not yet had additional children . When both members of the couple have at least one pre-existing child, the new family is "complex" or "blended" from the start; if only one member has one or more prior children but the couple has another child together, the "complex" / "blended" designation replaces the "simple" designation upon the birth of the new child . If both members of the couple have prior children, those children are stepbrothers and stepsisters to one another . Any subsequent child born to the couple is a half - sibling of the respective members' prior children . </P> <P> If a stepparent legally adopts the partner's child or children, he or she becomes the child's legal parent . In such cases, the parents may stop using the terms "stepparent" and "stepchild" and instead refer to the child simply as their son or daughter; depending on the child's degree of affinity for the adoptive parent and / or approval of the legal proceedings culminating in the child's adoption, the child may likewise drop the "step -" designation from his / her description of the relationship . Even when all parties describe the relationship using the terms applied to biological and adoptive families, however, at least some of the emotional and psychological issues common to stepfamilies may persist . </P> <P> The earliest recorded use of the prefix step -, in the form steop -, is from an 8th - century glossary of Latin - Old English words meaning "orphan". Steopsunu is given for the Latin word filiaster and steopmoder for nouerca . Similar words recorded later in Old English include stepbairn, stepchild and stepfather . The words are used to denote a connection resulting from the remarriage of a widowed parent and are related to the word ástíeped meaning bereaved, with stepbairn and stepchild occasionally used simply as synonyms for orphan . Words such as stepbrother, stepniece and stepparent appeared much later and do not have any particular connotation of bereavement . Corresponding words in other Germanic languages include: Old High German stiuf - and Old Norse stjúp - . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article contains instructions, advice, or how - to content . The purpose of Wikipedia is to present facts, not to train . Please help improve this article either by rewriting the how - to content or by moving it to Wikiversity, Wikibooks or Wikivoyage . (July 2014) </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Where did the word step dad come from