tepee

Where does the word "tepee" come from? It comes from Lakota (Sioux) thipi, and was adopted directly into English (1700s-1800s).

Tepee’s story begins in Lakota (Sioux): thipi meant “a dwelling, tent.” Meaning "a dwelling", a portable conical tent. It reached English by 1700s-1800s as tepee. Lakota 'thípi', dwelling; tepees could be taken down quickly to follow the bison herds. Today, tepee means a portable, conical tent traditionally used by Plains Native American peoples.

1. Stage 1 · Lakota (Sioux) · pre-1700s thipi "a dwelling, tent", meaning "a dwelling", a portable conical tent.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1700s-1800s tepee "a conical tent traditionally made of animal skins", Lakota 'thípi', dwelling; tepees could be taken down quickly to follow the bison herds.