Where does “peep” come from?
Peep comes from English pippin, which comes from English pip, in a cycle of reduplication and sound variation within English.
peep (English): A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a...
Definitions
- A short, soft, high-pitched sound, as made by a...
Ancestry of “peep”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | pepen | — |
| 2 | Middle English | piken | To pick at; to use a edged tool on; To pierce or... |
| 3 | Middle English | pyke | A sharp round point or projection; A point or end... |
| 4 | Old English | pīc | pointed object, pick axe |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *pīk | — |
| 6 | Latin | pix | pitch, tar |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pik- | to be angry; pitch; resin |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pi- | sap, juice |