'seep' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'sipen,' where 'sip-' meant 'to drip or trickle.'

'sipen' transformed into the modern English word 'seep' through gradual phonetic changes.

Initially, it meant 'to drip or trickle,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'to flow or pass slowly through small openings or pores.'