Where does “ropy” come from?

ropy (Middle English) comes from Middle English rop, from Old English rāp, from Proto-West Germanic raip, from Proto-Germanic raipaz, from Proto-Indo-European roypnós — strap, band, rope.

Ancestry of “ropy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishropA cord or string
2Old Englishrāprope, cord, cable; strap, band, cord
3Proto-West Germanicraipstrip, band
4Proto-Germanicraipazstrip; margin; strap; band; rein; cord; rope;...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanroypnósstrap, band, rope

Words derived from “ropy”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European roypnós →Every word from Proto-Germanic raipaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic raip →