Where does “mudheap” come from?
mudheap (English) comes from English heap, from Middle English hepe, from Old English hēope, from Proto-Germanic heupǭ, from Proto-Indo-European ḱewb-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱew-, from Proto-Indo-European gʷṓws — cattle.
mudheap (English): A heap of mud; by extension, any pile of...
Definitions
- A heap of mud; by extension, any pile of...
Ancestry of “mudheap”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | heap | A crowd; a throng; a multitude or great number of... |
| 2 | Middle English | hepe | — |
| 3 | Old English | hēope | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | heupǭ | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱewb- | briar, thorn |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱew- | skin, colour of the skin; to shine; bright; to... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷṓws | cattle |