Mishap Contains the Old Word for Luck
A mishap is an unlucky accident. The *hap* inside it is an obsolete word for chance, still alive in happen and happy.
A mishap is an unlucky accident. The second element is a lost word: *hap* meant chance or luck, from Old Norse *happ*. It survives inside *happen*, which meant to occur by chance, *perhaps*, *haphazard*, *hapless* and *happy* — which originally meant lucky rather than cheerful.
- An unlucky accident. *A minor mishap.*
- Hap — chance (archaic). *By hap.*
- Hapless — unlucky. *A hapless victim.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | mishap | A small mishap. |
| Plural | mishaps | Repeated mishaps. |
| Related | happen | It happened. |
| Related | happy | A happy result. |
| Related | haphazard | A haphazard method. |
How it is used in a sentence
- There was a mishap with the cake.A minor accident.
- Happy once meant lucky.As in *a happy coincidence*.
- Perhaps means by chance.*Per* plus *hap*.
Words containing *hap*
- Happen — to occur by chance
- Perhaps — by chance
- Haphazard — chance plus hazard, both meaning luck
- Hapless — without luck
- Happy — originally fortunate
From *mis-*, wrongly, and *hap*, chance, from Old Norse *happ*, good luck.
Did happy mean lucky?
Yes. The sense of cheerfulness developed later, and the older meaning survives in phrases like a happy accident.
Is *hap* still a word?
Only in archaic and poetic use. It lives on inside happen, perhaps, haphazard and hapless.