Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sip” come from?

Sip comes from Middle English sippen, of uncertain origin and meaning.

sip (English): A small mouthful of drink; To drink slowly, small...

Definitions

  1. A small mouthful of drink; To drink slowly, small...

Ancestry of “sip”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsippento sip, to drink slowly, small mouthfuls at a...
2Old Englishsipianto seep
3Proto-Germanicsipōnąto drop, fall, drip, trickle
4Proto-Indo-Europeanseyb-to pour, leak, trickle; to pour out, trickle,...

Words derived from “sip”

  • sippy
  • sipper
  • sipple
  • sippeth
  • sippable
  • sippest
Every word from Proto-Indo-European seyb- →