hula-hoop
UK[ˈhuːlə huːp]US[ˈhuːlə huːp]
n
a large plastic or wooden hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs, or neck for play or exercise.
v
to play with or use a hula-hoop.
Morpheme Breakdown
hula
hoop
hula
hawaiian dance
hoop
circular band
Etymology
the term is a compound formed in the mid-20th century, directly combining two existing english words. 'hula' was borrowed from hawaiian in the 19th century to name the native dance, while 'hoop' is a native english word of germanic origin, traceable to old english 'hōp' and ultimately to a proto-germanic root. the name was created for a toy invented in 1958, drawing an analogy between the hip-gyrating motion used to keep the hoop aloft and the movements of the hula dance. this clever branding cemented the literal combination of 'hula' and 'hoop' into a single lexical item for the toy and the activity.
Analysis
Structure: hula (hawaiian dance) + hoop (circular band)
hula: origin - hawaiian; functional role - a borrowed term referring to a traditional hawaiian dance characterized by hip movements.
hoop: origin - old english 'hōp'; functional role - a noun denoting a circular band of rigid material.
Examples
the children competed to see who could keep the hula-hoop spinning the longest.
she can hula-hoop for ten minutes without dropping the hoop.
the park was full of people trying to hula-hoop during the fitness festival.