Hirpling

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. Moving in a manner that is awkward or limping
2. Walking with difficulty, often as a result of injury or pain
3. Progressing slowly and unsteadily, as though hindered by a physical limitation

Etymology: "Hirpling" is the present participle of "hirple," a Scots verb for limping or hobbling along, and its story is mostly a matter of a word that stayed largely within Scotland. The verb is first recorded in Scots sources from the late fifteenth century, and its origin is not known for certain. The most likely source is Old Norse "herpast," meaning "to suffer from cramp," a middle-voice verb, which gives a sense of a body drawn tight and stiff. Icelandic "herpa," meaning "to contract" or "to draw together," points the same way. The link between cramp and walking is the key to the meaning. A person whose muscles are cramped or contracted cannot stride freely, so they move in short, awkward, uneven steps. Over time the word settled on that lame, hobbling gait rather than the pain that may have started it.

Synonyms: limping, hobbling, lame

Antonyms: walking, running, striding