Where does “hiccup” come from?
Hiccup derives from English hickock, a variant of hic, itself a nickname for Hick, a diminutive of Richard, which passed through Middle English Rycharde and Old French Richard from Latin Ricohardus.
hiccup (English): A spasm of the diaphragm, or the resulting sound;...
Definitions
- A spasm of the diaphragm, or the resulting sound;...
Ancestry of “hiccup”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hickock | A hiccup |
| 2 | English | Hick | pet form of Richard |
| 3 | English | Richard | A turd |
| 4 | Middle English | Rycharde | — |
| 5 | Old French | Richard | — |
| 6 | Medieval Latin | Richardus | — |
| 7 | Frankish | Rīkahard | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | Rīkaharduz | A male given name |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | rīks | king, ruler |
| 10 | Proto-Celtic | rīxs | king |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃rḗǵs | king, ruler |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reǵ- | to straighten, to right oneself; right; just |