wallop

wallop
\ \ [14] Wallop and gallop are doublets – that is to say, they began life as the same word, but have gradually drifted apart. Their ultimate common source was Frankish *walahlaupan ‘jump well’. This was a compound verb formed from *wala ‘well’ and *hlaupan ‘jump’, a relative of English leap. This was borrowed into Old French as galoper, which gave English gallop. But the northern dialect of Old French took it over as waloper, which is where English wallop comes from. This was originally used for ‘gallop’ (‘Came there king Charlemagne, as fast as his horse might wallop’. William Caxton, Four Sons of Aymon 1489), but after the acquisition of gallop it began to go steadily downhill semantically, helped on its way perhaps by its sound, suggestive of hitting.
\ \ Cf.⇒ GALLOP

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • wallop — (v.) late 14c., to gallop, possibly from O.N.Fr. *waloper (13c.), probably from Frankish *walalaupan to run well (Cf. O.H.G. wela well and Old Low Franconian loupon to run, leap ). The verb meaning to thrash (1820) and the noun meaning heavy blow …   Etymology dictionary

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