A foundling is a baby left by its parents and then found and looked after by other people. It is an old, slightly storybook word.

A foundlingFoundling（棄嬰） is a baby left by its parents指的是一個被父母遺棄的嬰兒， and then found and looked after by other people後來被別人發現並收養照顧。 It is an old, slightly storybook word這是一個有點老舊、帶著故事書味道的字。

You meet it in history — foundling hospitals were big homes that took in abandoned babies — and in novels more than in a hospital corridor today. A social worker now would more likely say an abandoned baby, or a child who was left.

You meet it in history你會在歷史裡遇到這個字—— foundling hospitals were big homes that took in abandoned babiesfoundling hospitals（棄兒收容所）是收留棄嬰的大型機構—— and in novels more than in a hospital corridor today也會在小說裡遇到，比在今天的醫院走廊上更常見。 A social worker now現在的社工， would more likely say an abandoned baby, or a child who was left比較可能會說abandoned baby（被遺棄的嬰兒），或a child who was left（被留下的孩子）。

The word does not tell you why the parents left the child; it only tells you the baby was found. The pieces are found (the past of find) and -ling, a “small one of that kind” ending, so “a little one who was found.” Same family-feeling as duckling or fledgling: not a full grown person of that kind, a small one.

The word does not tell you why the parents left the child這個字不會告訴你父母為什麼遺棄孩子， it only tells you the baby was found只告訴你這個嬰兒是被人發現的。 The pieces are found (the past of find)字的組成是found（find的過去式）， and -ling, a "small one of that kind" ending加上-ling，一個表示「那一類裡的小東西」的字尾， so "a little one who was found."所以是「一個被發現的小東西」。 Same family-feeling as duckling or fledgling跟duckling（小鴨）或fledgling（剛學飛的幼鳥）是同一種感覺： not a full grown person of that kind, a small one不是那一類裡長大的個體，而是小小的一個。