kip
UK[kɪp]US[kɪp]
n
The basic unit of currency in Laos.
n
A place for sleeping, especially a simple, cheap bed or lodging house.
n
The untanned hide of a young or small animal, such as a calf, lamb, or goat.
v
To sleep or take a nap.
Etymology
The word 'kip' presents a fascinating case of homonymy, where three distinct linguistic paths converged on the same monosyllabic form. The sense of a 'hide or skin' entered Middle English from Middle Dutch 'kippe', meaning a bundle of hides. The informal British sense of a 'sleeping place' or 'bed' likely stems from the Danish word 'kippe', denoting a mean hut or alehouse, reflecting its humble connotations. Finally, the monetary unit is a direct borrowing from Lao ກີບ (kip), which itself may originate from a term for a silver ingot. Despite their identical spelling, these three meanings have no common etymological root, each representing an independent loan into English from different languages and cultural contexts.
Analysis
The word 'kip' is a simplex word. It is a loanword with multiple distinct origins converging on the same spelling. Its primary senses derive from Middle Dutch ('kippe' for a bundle of hides), Danish ('kippe' for a mean hut or alehouse), and Lao (ກີບ, the currency).
Examples
The budget guesthouse offered a simple kip for the night.
He needed to exchange his dollars for Lao kip at the border.
After the long hike, she decided to kip on the sofa for an hour.