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Today it means

keep

to have or retain possession of

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Where does the word "keep" come from? It comes from Old English cēpan, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).

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Where does the word "keep" come from? It comes from Old English cēpan, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).

Keep’s story begins in Old English: cēpan meant “to seize, observe.” To seize, hold or observe; of unknown origin, with no relatives elsewhere. It reached English by 1500s as keep. A castle's 'keep', its strongest tower, dates from the 1580s. Today, keep means to have or retain possession of.

  1. Stage 1 · Old English · 700s-1000s cēpan "to seize, observe", to seize, hold or observe; of unknown origin, with no relatives elsewhere.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1500s keep "to retain", a castle's 'keep', its strongest tower, dates from the 1580s.

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