Popple has a number of meanings. It can be used to mean the poplar tree, cornfield weeds, or to make a constant popping sound.
The meaning I particularly like is ‘to flow in a tumbling or rippling manner’ or ‘to heave or bubble’ (both of water). A connected meaning is ‘to bob up and down on the surface of rippling water’.
It can also be used as a noun for ‘a rolling or rippling of water’ or ‘a choppy body of water’.
Popple is considered imitative – it reproduces the sound of the thing it is describing.
“The sound of waters dropping, poppling, splashing, trickling.”
– C. J. Cornish, The Naturalist on the Thames. 1902
It is thought to originate from the Middle Dutch word popelen, meaning ‘to murmur’ or ‘to mumble’. The OED also gives comparisons with the West Frisian word popelje, meaning ‘to throb’ or ‘to bubble up’, and the regional German word poppeln, meaning ‘to bubble’.
The earliest usage recorded by the OED was c1400. And it isn’t just used for descriptions of the natural world.
“His brains came poppling out like water.”
– Charles Cotton, Burlesque upon burlesque. 1675
Source:
- The Oxford English Dictionary Online
Hannah McCall 
New one by me:)
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Thanks for this.
I must find it a place in the current ‘work in progress’
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No problem. I’m delighted to hear it! 🙂
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Hi Hannah, just wanted to say that your blog makes me smile when I’m clearing out my emails. I’ll endeavour to fit “popple” somewhere in my thesis 🙂
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Hi Joscelyn. Thank you – it is lovely to hear my blog has that effect! If you do manage to incorporate popple, I’d love to know how you used it. 🙂
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I like the sound of that word. Thanks for sharing.
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Me too. I am hoping to be able to drop it into conversation occasionally! No problem 🙂
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You got me again. I have never heard that word before and I am an info junkie. I pride myself on “knowing”. I also love learning new things. Thank you.
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You’re welcome. I’m glad I was able to bring you something new!
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