Nobody Knows Why We Hiccup
A hiccup is an involuntary spasm of the diaphragm. Its purpose is unknown, and the leading theory involves our fish ancestors.
A hiccup is an involuntary contraction of the diaphragm followed by the vocal cords snapping shut. No function has ever been established. The most discussed theory holds that it is a leftover of the gill-ventilation reflex in our aquatic ancestors, using the same nerve pathway. The record for continuous hiccupping is measured in decades.
- An involuntary spasm. *A bout of hiccups.*
- A minor setback. *A hiccup in the schedule.*
- To hiccup. *He hiccupped loudly.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hiccup | A loud hiccup. |
| Plural | hiccups | Persistent hiccups. |
| Verb | hiccup | He hiccupped. |
| Variant | hiccough | An older spelling. |
| Medical | singultus | Chronic singultus. |
How it is used in a sentence
- There was a hiccup in the process.A minor problem.
- The medical term is singultus.From Latin, a sob.
- Hiccough is a misguided respelling.By false analogy with cough.
Hiccup facts
- Involuntary — the diaphragm contracts without conscious control
- The sound — comes from the vocal cords closing abruptly
- Phrenic nerve — the pathway involved, running from neck to diaphragm
- Longest case — Charles Osborne hiccupped for 68 years
- Persistent hiccups — lasting more than 48 hours warrant medical attention
An imitative word from the sixteenth century. The spelling *hiccough* arose from a mistaken assumption that it involved coughing.
Why do we hiccup?
No agreed reason. The most discussed theory links it to an ancient gill-ventilation reflex inherited from aquatic ancestors.
Hiccup or hiccough?
Hiccup is standard. Hiccough was a seventeenth-century respelling based on a mistaken connection with coughing.