hiccup

Where does the word "hiccup" come from? It comes from English hicket, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Hiccup’s story begins in English: hicket meant “spasm of the diaphragm.” An imitation of the sound, like French hoquet and Dutch hik. It reached English by 1600s as hiccup. The alternative spelling 'hiccough' appeared in the 1620s through a false link with 'cough', though the pronunciation never changed. Today, hiccup means an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm; a minor setback.

1. Stage 1 · English · 1580s hicket "spasm of the diaphragm", an imitation of the sound, like French hoquet and Dutch hik.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s hiccup "involuntary spasm; minor setback", the alternative spelling 'hiccough' appeared in the 1620s through a false link with 'cough', though the pronunciation never changed.