Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hip” come from?

Hip derives from earlier English hep, which alternated with hip in various dialectal and colloquial uses, though the ultimate origin remains uncertain.

hip (English): The outward-projecting parts of the pelvis and...

Definitions

  1. The outward-projecting parts of the pelvis and...

Ancestry of “hip”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishhipe—
2Old Englishhypehip
3Proto-West Germanichupihip
4Proto-Germanichupizhip, haunch, upper part of the thigh
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱeu̯bh₂-—

Words derived from “hip”

  • hippie
  • hipped
  • hep
  • hipster
  • hipness
  • rosehip
  • unhip
  • hipline
  • hippiedom
  • hipless
  • hipshot
  • hepcat
  • ultrahip
  • hipsterism
  • hiply
  • hippieness
  • unhipness
  • superhip
  • neohippie
  • hippielike
  • hiphugger
  • hiphuggers
  • nonhip
  • posthippie
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱeu̯bh₂- →