Where does “steep-down” come from?

steep-down (English) comes from English Down, from Middle English doun, from Old English dūn, from Proto-Germanic *dūnā, from Proto-Celtic dūnom, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.

steep-down (English): Having a sheer descent; precipitous

Definitions

  1. Having a sheer descent; precipitous

Ancestry of “steep-down”, step by step

steep-down traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Down

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishDownusually known as County Down
2Middle Englishdoundown
3Old Englishdūnhill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain
4Proto-Germanic*dūnā—
5Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

via English steep

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsteepOf a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface,...
2Middle Englishsteep—
3Old Englishstēapa stoup, beaker, drinking vessel, cup, flagon;...
4Proto-West Germanic*staup—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →Every word from Proto-Celtic dūnom →Every word from Proto-Germanic *dūnā →