Lip
/lɪp/noun
Either of the two fleshy parts that form the edge of the mouth.
Did you know?English lip comes from a Proto-Germanic word, and its distant cousins show up in words for the mouth’s edge across Germanic languages, proving even a tiny body part can preserve ancient speech history.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leb-
“to hang down, droop”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*lepô
“lip”
Old English
OE
lippa
“lip”
Middle English
ME
lippe
“lip”
Modern English
English
lip
“the fleshy edge of the mouth”