Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cheapen” come from?

Cheapen comes from Middle English -en and Old English -en, derived from Proto-Germanic jainaz, which traces back through Proto-Indo-European i- to Latin caupo, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kaup-.

cheapen (English): to decrease the value of; to make cheaper; to...

Definitions

  1. to decrease the value of; to make cheaper; to...

Ancestry of “cheapen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-enDenotes the past participle form when attached to...
2Middle English-enDenotes the past participle form when attached to...
3Old English-enmæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;...
4Old Norse-innUsed to create adjectives from nouns, meaning...
5Proto-Norse-īna-—
6Proto-Germanic-īnaz-en
7Proto-Indo-European-iHnosCreates adjectives of materials
8Proto-Indo-European-no-adjectival suffix

Words derived from “cheapen”

  • cheapener
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -no- →