Etymology

necrohippoflagellation

Today it means: The act or practice of beating a dead horse, i.e. persisting beyond a reasonable point. Full definition →

English flagellation ← Ancient Greek ῐ̔́ππος (hĭ́ppos) ← Proto-Hellenic *íkkʷos
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*neḱ-
  2. Ancient Greekνεκρός (nekrós)
  3. Englishnecro-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*HéHḱus
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éḱwos
  6. Proto-Hellenic*íkkʷos
  7. Ancient Greekῐ̔́ππος (hĭ́ppos)
  8. Englishhippo-
  9. Englishflagellation
  10. English todaynecrohippoflagellation

From necro- + hippo- + flagellation.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.