Where does “heep” come from?

heep (Middle English) comes from Old English hēap, from Proto-West Germanic haup, from Proto-Germanic haupaz, from Proto-Indo-European koupos — hill.

Ancestry of “heep”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhēapgroup
2Proto-West Germanichaupheap, pile
3Proto-Germanichaupaza heap, pile; a crowd, throng
4Proto-Indo-Europeankouposhill
Every word from Proto-Indo-European koupos →Every word from Proto-Germanic haupaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic haup →
heep — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer