coppe

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*gew-“to bend, curve”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*kuppaz“vault, round vessel, head”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*kopp
4. Old English · inherited fromātorcoppe“spider”
5. Middle English · inherited fromattercoppe
6. English todaycoppe

From Middle English attercoppe, from Old English ātorcoppe (“spider”), corresponding to atter (poison, venom) + cop (“spider”) (the latter is still to be found in the English word cobweb), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *kopp, from Proto-Germanic *kuppaz (“vault, round vessel, head”), from Proto-Indo-European *gew- (“to bend, curve”). Primarily occurs in the northeast Midlands region of England. Compare Danish edderkop, Norwegian edderkopp, Low German kobbe. Originating from the Dutch invaders who populated this area, the same word coppe, pronounced 'kab', existed in Middle Dutch up until the 14th century. The word kobbe, meaning spider, still exists in West-Flemish, a Dutch dialect spoken in the West of Flanders.

Words from the same roots