Where does “pipe” come from?
pipe (Middle English) comes from Middle English pipen, from Old English pīpian, from Proto-West Germanic pīpan, from Proto-Germanic pīpaną, from Latin pipo — I pip, peep.
pipe (Middle English): A pipe; a piece of tubing used as a channel (often for fluids)
Definitions
- A pipe; a piece of tubing used as a channel (often for fluids)
Ancestry of “pipe”, step by step
pipe traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English pipen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | pipen | To use a pipe or similar musical instrument; to... |
| 2 | Old English | pīpian | to pipe |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | pīpan | to peep, to chirp, to squeak |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | pīpaną | To chirp or pipe like a bird or rodent; To talk... |
| 5 | Latin | pipo | I pip, peep |
via Old English pīpe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | pīpe | a pipe musical instrument |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *pīpā | flute |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | pipa | pipe |
via Old French pipe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | pipe | liquid measure |