Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “whoop-ass” come from?

whoop-ass (English) comes from English whoop, from Middle English wop, from Old English wōp, from Proto-Germanic wōpaz, from Proto-Germanic w(e/o)h₂b-os.

whoop-ass (English): Alternative form of whoop ass; An act of beating;...

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of whoop ass; An act of beating;...

Ancestry of “whoop-ass”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwhoopA loud, eager cry, usually of joy; A gasp,...
2Middle Englishwopthe action of or a moment of crying or weeping;...
3Old Englishwōpcry, outcry, shrieking, weeping, lamentation
4Proto-Germanicwōpazshout, cry, wail
5Proto-Germanicw(e/o)h₂b-os—
Every word from Proto-Germanic w(e/o)h₂b-os →