Where does “keep” come from?

Keep derives from Middle English kepen, Old English cēpan, Proto-Germanic kōpijaną, and Proto-Indo-European ǵab-, though the precise original meaning remains uncertain.

keep (English): To continue in (a course or mode of action); to not intermit or fall from; to uphold or maintain

Definitions

  1. To continue in (a course or mode of action); to not intermit or fall from; to uphold or maintain

Ancestry of “keep”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishkepento keep, guard, look after, watch
2Old Englishcēpanto seize, hold, observe
3Proto-West Germanic*kōpijan—
4Proto-Germanickōpijanąto look after, observe; to watch, keep, care for
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵab-—

Words derived from “keep”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵab- →