Where does “whiplash” come from?
Whiplash comes from English whip, derived from Middle French lachier, which comes from Middle Dutch wippen, meaning to move quickly or strike.
whiplash (English): the lash of a whip; an injury to the upper spine...
Definitions
- the lash of a whip; an injury to the upper spine...
Ancestry of “whiplash”, step by step
whiplash traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English lash
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | lash | The thong or braided cord of a whip, with which... |
| 2 | Middle French | lachier | — |
| 3 | Old French | lacier | to lace |
| 4 | Latin | laqueo | dative singular of laqueus; ablative singular of... |
| 5 | Latin | laqueus | noose; snare, gin, trap |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | lakw- | to ensnare |
via English whip
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | whip | A lash; a pliant, flexible instrument, such as a... |
| 2 | Middle English | whippen | — |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | wippen | to swing, leap, dance, oscillate |
Words derived from “whiplash”