steppe

Where does the word "steppe" come from? It comes from Russian step', and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Steppe’s story begins in Russian: step' meant “a flat grassy plain.” The vast, flat, treeless grassland of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It reached English by 1600s as steppe. Russian 'step'', the Eurasian grasslands where Scythians and Mongols lived. Today, steppe means a large area of flat, unforested grassland, especially in southeastern Europe and Asia.

1. Stage 1 · Russian · 1600s step' "a flat grassy plain", the vast, flat, treeless grassland of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s steppe "a vast, flat, treeless grassland", Russian 'step'', the Eurasian grasslands where Scythians and Mongols lived.