Where does “keepalive” come from?

keepalive (English) comes from English keep, from Middle English kepen, from Old English cēpan, from Proto-West Germanic *kōpijan, from Proto-Germanic kōpijaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵab-.

keepalive (English): A short message sent by one device to another to...

Definitions

  1. A short message sent by one device to another to...

Ancestry of “keepalive”, step by step

keepalive traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English keep

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishkeepTo continue in (a course or mode of action); to not intermit or fall from; to uphold or maintain
2Middle Englishkepento keep, guard, look after, watch
3Old Englishcēpanto seize, hold, observe
4Proto-West Germanic*kōpijan
5Proto-Germanickōpijanąto look after, observe; to watch, keep, care for
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵab-

via English alive

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishaliveHaving life; living; not dead; In a state of...
2Middle Englishalyvealive, living
3Old Englishon līfein life
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵab-