Where does “sump” come from?

Sump comes from Middle English sompe, from Middle Dutch somp, of unknown ultimate origin.

sump (English): A hollow or pit into which liquid drains, such as...

Definitions

  1. A hollow or pit into which liquid drains, such as...

Ancestry of “sump”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsompemarsh, morass
2Middle Low Germansumpmarsh, swamp
3Old Saxonsumpswamp, marsh
4Proto-Germanicsumpazfungus, sponge; swamp, marsh

Words derived from “sump”

Every word from Proto-Germanic sumpaz →Every word from Old Saxon sump →Every word from Middle Low German sump →