Where does “kopje” come from?
Kopje comes from Dutch kopje, from Dutch kop, from Middle Dutch cop, from Late Latin cuppa, from Latin cupa meaning a wooden vessel or tub, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to curve or bend.
kopje (English): A small hill or mound
Ancestry of “kopje”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | kopje | |
| 2 | Dutch | kop | cup; head; a human |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | cop | — |
| 4 | Latin | cūppa | — |
| 5 | Latin | cūpa | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | κώπη | a handle |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kóh₂p-eh₂ | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂p- | to seize, grab; to seize; take up; lift; to take,... |