Where does “cupping” come from?

Cupping derives from English cup plus the suffix -ing, from Old English -ing, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European keup- and ultimately keh₂p-, meaning to curve or hollow.

cupping (English): The operation of drawing blood to or from the...

Definitions

  1. The operation of drawing blood to or from the...

Ancestry of “cupping”, step by step

cupping traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Cup

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishCupA win of a championship that is awarded a cup; A...
2Middle Englishcuppecup
3Old Englishcuppecup
4Late Latincuppadrinking vessel; barrel, cask; axle
5Latincūpatub, cask, tun, vat
6Ancient Greekκώπηa handle
7Proto-Indo-Europeankóh₂p-eh₂
8Proto-Indo-Europeankeh₂p-to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,...

via Middle English cupping

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcupping
Every word from Proto-Indo-European keh₂p-