*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of steep

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)tew- Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewp-der.? Proto-Germanic *staupaz Proto-West Germanic *staup Old English stēap Middle English steep English steep From Middle English steep, from Old E

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

The steep side of a mountain etc.; a slope or acclivity.

adj

Of a near-vertical gradient; of a slope, surface, curve, etc. that proceeds upward or downward at an angle approaching vertical. · Expensive. · Difficult to access; not easy reached; lofty; elevated; high. · resulting in a mast or windshield angle that strongly diverges from the perpendicular.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)tew- Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewp-der.? Proto-Germanic *staupaz Proto-West Germanic *staup Old English stēap Middle English steep English steep From Middle English steep, from Old English stēap (“high”), from Proto-Germanic *staupaz, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewp- (“to push, stick”). Compare Old Frisian stāp ("high, towering"; > Modern Saterland Frisian stiep (“steep”)), Dutch stoop (“grand; proud”), Middle High German stouf (“towering cliff, precipice”), Middle High German stief (“steep”)). The Proto-Indo-European root (and related) has many and varied descendants, including English stub; compare also Scots stap (“to strike, to forcibly insert”). The sense of “sharp slope” is attested circa 1200; the sense “expensive” is attested US 1856.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:steep<ety:inh<ang:stēap>>",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *(s)tew-\nProto-Indo-European *(s)tewp-der.?\nProto-Germanic *staupaz\nProto-West Germanic *staup\nOld English stēap\nMiddle English steep\nEnglish steep\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"to push\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*(s)tew-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*(s)tewp-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*staupaz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*staup\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"stēap\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"steep\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"steep\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"steep\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "steep"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English steep"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "stēap",
        "4": "",
        "5": "high"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English stēap (“high”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*staupaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *staupaz"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)tewp-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to push, stick"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewp- (“to push, stick”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
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        "1": "ofs",
        "2": "stāp"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Frisian stāp"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "stq",
        "2": "stiep",
        "t": "steep"
      },
      "expansion": "Saterland Frisian stiep (“steep”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "gl",
      "args": {
        "1": "\"high, towering\"; > Modern Saterland Frisian <i class=\"Latn mention\" lang=\"stq\">stiep</i> (“steep”)"
      },
      "expansion": "(\"high, towering\"; > Modern Saterland Frisian stiep (“steep”))"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "stoop",
        "3": "",
        "4": "grand; proud"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch stoop (“grand; proud”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gmh",
        "2": "stouf",
        "3": "",
        "4": "towering cliff, precipice"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle High German stouf (“towering cliff, precipice”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "gmh",
        "2": "stief",
        "3": "",
        "4": "steep"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle High German stief (“steep”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "stap",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to strike, to forcibly insert"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots stap (“to strike, to forcibly insert”)"
    },
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      "name": "etymon",
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        "2": ":inh",
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        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *(s)tew-\nProto-Indo-European *(s)tewp-der.?\nProto-Germanic *staupaz\nProto-West Germanic *staup\nOld English stēap\nMiddle English steep\nEnglish steep"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*(s)tew-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/(s)tew-#Proto-Indo-European:_to_push"
    ],
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      "*(s)tewp-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/(s)tewp-"
    ],
    [
      "*staupaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/staupaz"
    ],
    [
      "*staup",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/staup"
    ],
    [
      "stēap",
      "steap#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "steep",
      "steep#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "steep",
      "steep#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "stēap",
      "steap#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*staupaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/staupaz"
    ],
    [
      "*(s)tewp-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/(s)tewp-"
    ],
    [
      "stāp",
      "stap#Old_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "Saterland Frisian",
      "w:Saterland Frisian language"
    ],
    [
      "stiep",
      "stiep#Saterland_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "stoop",
      "stoop#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "stouf",
      "stouf#Middle_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "stief",
      "stief#Middle_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "Proto-Indo-European",
      "Proto-Indo-European"
    ],
    [
      "stub",
      "stub#English"
    ],
    [
      "stap",
      "stap#Scots"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
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        "The steep side of a mountain etc.; a slope or acclivity."
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        "resulting in a mast or windshield angle that strongly diverges from the perpendicular."
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A liquid used in a steeping process · A rennet bag.

verb

To soak or wet thoroughly. · To make tea (or other beverages) by soaking leaves in water, which flavors the water. · To imbue with something; to immerse deeply in.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English stepen, from Old Norse steypa (“to make stoop, cast down, pour out, cast (metal)”), from Proto-Germanic *staupijaną (“to tumble, make tumble, plunge”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewb- (“to push, hit”). Cognate with Danish støbe (“cast (metal)”), Norwegian støpe, støype, Swedish stöpa (“to found, cast (metal)”), Old English stūpian (“to stoop, bend the back, slope”). Related to stoop.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "stepen"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
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      },
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    },
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      },
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    },
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        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)tewb-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to push, hit"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewb- (“to push, hit”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "støbe",
        "3": "",
        "4": "cast (metal)"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish støbe (“cast (metal)”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "no",
        "2": "støpe"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian støpe"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "stöpa",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to found, cast (metal)"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish stöpa (“to found, cast (metal)”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "stūpian",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to stoop, bend the back, slope"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English stūpian (“to stoop, bend the back, slope”)"
    }
  ],
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      "steypa#Old_Norse"
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    ],
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    ],
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      "støbe",
      "støbe#Danish"
    ],
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      "støpe",
      "støpe#Norwegian"
    ],
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      "støype",
      "støype#Norwegian"
    ],
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      "stöpa",
      "stöpa#Swedish"
    ],
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    ],
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      "stoop",
      "stoop#English"
    ]
  ],
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        "A liquid used in a steeping process",
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for steep →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
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Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-c3RlZXA