Where does “whack-a-mole” come from?

whack-a-mole (English) comes from English molé, from English Moll, from English mary, from French marie, from Old French Marie, from Latin Marīa, from Ancient Greek Μαρία, from Hebrew מִרְיָם.

whack-a-mole (English): The practice of trying to stop something that...

Definitions

  1. The practice of trying to stop something that...

Ancestry of “whack-a-mole”, step by step

whack-a-mole traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English molé

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmoléAlternative spelling of mole
2EnglishMollA pet name for Mary
3EnglishmaryA male homosexual
4Frenchmariefirst-person singular present indicative of...
5Old FrenchMarie
6LatinMarīaMary mother of Jesus
7Ancient GreekΜαρίαMary, Maria
8Hebrewמִרְיָם
9Aramaicמריםbitter
10Biblical Hebrewמִרְיָם

via English A

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishAThe ordinal number first, derived from this...
2EnglishANDAlternative form of ∧, the conjunction operator;...
3Middle Englishandand, and then; however, yet, but, though. while;...
4Old Englishandand; even; also
5Proto-Germanicandiin addition, furthermore, and
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntiopposite; near; in front
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntsforehead; front
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

via English whack

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwhackThe sound of a heavy strike; The strike itself;...
2Malayhentamto hit hard
3Classical Malayهنتم
Every word from Biblical Hebrew מִרְיָם