Cheapen
/ˈtʃiːpən/noun
To make something less expensive or to reduce its value or quality.
Did you know?Cheapen is historically tied to Old English *céap* meaning 'trade' or 'bargain,' the same root behind *cheap*, *chop*, and *chapman*—proof that everyday commerce once shaped the language of value itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kaupą
“trade, purchase, bargain”
Old English
OE
céap
“trade, bargaining, purchase; later, price”
Old English
OE
céapian
“to buy, trade”
Middle English
ME
chepen
“to bargain, buy, sell”
Modern English
English
cheapen
“to make less expensive or less valuable”