hap (n.)
c. 1200, "chance, a person's luck, fortune, fate;" also "unforeseen occurrence," from Old Norse happ "chance, good luck," from Proto-Germanic *hap- (source of Old English gehæp "convenient, fit"), from PIE *kob- "to suit, fit, succeed" (source also of Sanskrit kob "good omen; congratulations, good wishes," Old Irish cob "victory," Norwegian heppa "lucky, favorable, propitious," Old Church Slavonic kobu "fate, foreboding, omen"). Meaning "good fortune" in English is from early 13c. Old Norse seems to have had the word only in positive senses.
hap (v.)
"to come to pass, be the case," c. 1300, from hap (n.) "chance, fortune, luck, fate," or from Old English hæppan.
updated on September 06, 2015
Dictionary entries near hap
Hanse
Hanseatic
Hansen's disease
hansom
Hanukkah
hap
hapax legomenon
haphazard
hapless
haplo-
haplography
