pop English · revision 2810

+ English has three main words spelled ''pop'': the sound word, of imitative origin, “father”, from papa, and “popular”, as in ''pop music''.^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: UK /pɒp/, US /pɑːp/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ {{homograph|1|sound}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=onomatopoeia|attested=c. 1400}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The sound word is [[inh|enm|poppe|t=a blow, a stroke]], poppen, of imitative origin,^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)^(Etymonline) like [[splash]], [[crack]] and [[bang]].^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The noun, a blow or knock: about 1400.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) The verb, “to strike, rap”, is from 1433.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The earliest uses refer to rapping or knocking, a sense surviving in dialect;^(Hoad 1986) the short explosive sound is not recorded before the 16th century:^(Hoad 1986) the verb from 1576, the noun from 1591.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989) The verb meant “to thrust or put suddenly” from before 1529 and “to move or come suddenly” from 1530.^(Barnhart 1988) The adverb, “with a pop, suddenly”, is from 1621, in Fletcher's ''The Pilgrim''.^(Barnhart 1988) ''Pop the question'', “to propose marriage”, is from the early 18th century,^(Cresswell 2021)^(Hoad 1986) and ''pop'' as slang for “to pawn” from the 18th century.^(Hoad 1986) The fizzy drink is named from the sound of the cork drawn from the bottle,^(Cresswell 2021) and Southey described it in 1812.^(Etymonline) ''Popgun'' is from 1662, in Hobbes,^(Barnhart 1988) and ''popcorn'' is American, from 1819 for the variety of corn and 1855 for the puffed kernels.^(Barnhart 1988) A pop in baseball, a high short hit, is from 1935.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1400 – a blow.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1433 – verb, to strike.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1530 – verb, to come suddenly.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1576 – verb, to make an explosive sound.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1591 – noun, an explosive sound.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1662 – ''popgun''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * early 18th century – ''pop the question''.^(Cresswell 2021)

+ * 1812 – a fizzy drink.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1819 – ''popcorn''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A short, sharp explosive sound.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(informal)'' A sweet fizzy drink; [[soda]].^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+ # ''(informal)'' A try or a single time: ''five dollars a pop''.^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To make, or burst with, a short explosive sound.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To move, go or put quickly or suddenly: ''pop into a shop''.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1988)

+ # Of the eyes, to bulge.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(British, informal)'' To [[pawn]].^(AHD)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[popcorn]]

+ * [[popgun]]

+ * [[popper]]

+ * [[pop-up]]

+ * [[popover]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|father}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=clipping|attested=1828|origins=fr papa}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The word for a father is a shortened and altered form of [[papa]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) itself [[bor|fr|papa]], from Old French, a children's word like [[la|pappa]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) The variant poppa is recorded from 1897.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Father: 1828 in Merriam-Webster,^(MWU 2024) 1838 in Barnhart and Etymonline, chiefly American English.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is used chiefly as a form of address to one's father, or to any older man.^(SOED 2002)^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1828 – father.^(MWU 2024)

+ * 1897 – ''poppa''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(informal, chiefly US)'' [[father|alt=Father]]; also used to address an older man.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ {{homograph|3|popular}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=clipping|attested=1862|origins=la populus}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The adjective meaning “popular” is a shortening of [[popular]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024) first for a popular concert, often in the plural, as in the Boston Pops.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A popular concert: 1862, in George Eliot's letters.^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ As an adjective of songs and music with wide public appeal it is American English from 1926,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and as the name of a genre of music from 1954.^(Etymonline) ''Pop art'' is from 1957, a shortening of ''popular art'' (1898), and was said to be used among the Independent Group of artists from late 1954.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) ''Pop culture'' is from 1958, short for ''popular culture'' (by 1846).^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1862 – a popular concert.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1926 – adjective, popular music.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1954 – noun, pop music.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1957 – ''pop art''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1958 – ''pop culture''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of or for the general public; popular: ''pop culture''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Of [[pop music]] or [[pop art]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # Pop music.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[pop music]]

+ * [[pop art]]

+ * [[pops]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[poppycock]]

+ * [[popular]]

+ * [[papa]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Other words spelled ''pop'' include an abbreviation of [[population]] (early 19th century) and a term of endearment for a girl, from [[poppet]] (late 18th century).^(SOED 2002)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}