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hop

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Etymology and origin of the French word hop

Confidence
Established
Formation
Onomatopoeia
First attested
1652 L. Richer, L'Ovide bouffon More words from the 17th century

Pronunciation

Forms

hop (interjection, invariable); also houp.[2][3]

Etymology

It is an onomatopoeia, certainly older than its first records, the form houp in 1652 and the present form in 1828–1829 (Vidocq's memoirs).[2][4][5][6] The verb houper “to call someone”, from Froissart's chronicles at the end of the 14th century, shows that the cry existed long before.[2][4] Bloch and Wartburg compare the calling interjection hep;[5] the TLFi compares the interjection German hopp.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

Louis Richer's burlesque Ovide bouffon (1652) has the form houp.[2][4]

Semantic evolution

It serves to urge a jump or a quick movement, to people or animals: hop là! with its variant houp là!.[4][2][7] It also accompanies a sudden, quick action, and in a story et hop marks that a result follows at once.[2][3] The exclamation hip hop (1991) is a separate borrowing.[4]

Timeline

  • End of the 14th century – Froissart uses the verb houper “to call”.[2][4]
  • 1652 – Houp in Richer's Ovide bouffon.[2]
  • 1828–1829 – Hop! in Vidocq's memoirs.[2][6]

Meanings

Interjection

  1. A cry urging someone or an animal to jump or move quickly: hop là!, allez, hop!.[2][3][7]
  2. Accompanying a sudden or quick action: Hop! Le chat a sauté sur la table.[2][3]
  3. Et hop: marking that a result follows at once.[2][3]
  • houper
  • hep

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
Cite this entry

“Hop.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/hop. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·