Where does “steep” come from?

Steep comes from Middle English stepen, from Old Norse steypa, from Proto-Germanic staupaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)tewb-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)tew-.

steep (English): Of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface,...

Definitions

  1. Of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface,...

Ancestry of “steep”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsteep—
2Old Englishstēapa stoup, beaker, drinking vessel, cup, flagon;...
3Proto-West Germanic*staup—

Words derived from “steep”

Every word from Proto-West Germanic *staup →Every word from Old English stēap →Every word from Middle English steep →