Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ape” come from?

Ape derives from Old English apa, from Proto-West Germanic apō, from Proto-Germanic apô, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ep-, of unknown ultimate meaning.

ape (English): A primate of the clade Hominoidea, generally...

Definitions

  1. A primate of the clade Hominoidea, generally...

Ancestry of “ape”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishapeAn ape or monkey; a simian creature; A deceiver;...
2Old Englishapamonkey, ape
3Proto-West Germanicapōape, monkey
4Proto-Germanicapôape, monkey
5Proto-Indo-Europeanabō-ape

Words derived from “ape”

  • apelike
  • apish
  • aper
  • apeman
  • apeshit
  • apery
  • apishness
  • apehood
  • apishly
  • apedom
  • apelet
  • apeness
  • apeling
  • apely
  • apehanger
  • apekind
  • apewoman
  • เอป
Every word from Proto-Indo-European abō- →