Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “chip” come from?

chip (Middle English) comes from Old English ċipp, from Old English ċippian, from Proto-Germanic kipp-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵey- — to split; divide; germinate; sprout; to split;...

chip (Middle English): fragment, worthless thing; chip, shard, fragment

Definitions

  1. fragment, worthless thing; chip, shard, fragment

Ancestry of “chip”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishċippchip; small piece of wood; chip, splinter,...
2Old Englishċippianto cut; hew
3Proto-Germanickipp-to chop; split; to cut; carve; hack; chop
4Proto-Indo-Europeanǵey-to split; divide; germinate; sprout; to split;...

Words derived from “chip”

  • chip
  • chips
  • chipping
  • chiffon
  • microchip
  • chipset
  • kibble
  • chiffonier
  • chipboard
  • biochip
  • chippy
  • woodchip
  • multichip
  • chippie
  • neurochip
  • woodchipping
  • chipmaker
  • nanochip
  • chipcard
  • chipless
  • chippiness
  • genechip
  • chipmaking
  • chiffony
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵey- →