Grasshopper
/ˈɡræsˌhɒpər/noun
A leaping insect with long hind legs, or a person who moves about lightly or restlessly.
Did you know?In Old English, the insect was called a compound built from everyday words, and the same root behind the second half also gave English “hop,” so the name is basically a fossilized motion spell.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
græshoppa
“a grasshopper or locust”
Middle English
ME
grasshoppe
“a grasshopper”
Modern English
English
grasshopper
“a leaping insect with long hind legs”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hupōną
“to hop, jump”