Where does “underkeep” come from?
underkeep (English) comes from English keep, from Middle English kepen, from Old English cēpan, from Proto-West Germanic *kōpijan, from Proto-Germanic kōpijaną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵab-.
underkeep (English): To keep under or in subjection; subdue; suppress;...
Definitions
- To keep under or in subjection; subdue; suppress;...
Ancestry of “underkeep”, step by step
underkeep traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English keep
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | keep | To continue in (a course or mode of action); to not intermit or fall from; to uphold or maintain |
| 2 | Middle English | kepen | to keep, guard, look after, watch |
| 3 | Old English | cēpan | to seize, hold, observe |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *kōpijan | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kōpijaną | to look after, observe; to watch, keep, care for |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵab- | — |