The Latin noun alumnus means "foster son, pupil" and is derived from the verb alere "to nourish".[4] The word alumnus appears in Roman law to describe a child placed in fosterage.[5] According to John Boswell, the word "is nowhere defined in relation to status, privilege, or obligation."[6] Citing the research of John Boswell, who studied the many inscriptions about alumni, Boswell concluded that it referred to exposed children who were taken into a household where they were "regarded as somewhere between an heir and a slave, partaking in different ways of both categories." Despite the warmth of feelings between the parent and child, "an alumnus might be treated both as a beloved child and as a household servant."[7]