poop

The word 'poop' for excrement is a relatively recent formation, first attested in the 18th century. It is considered onomatopoeic, likely imitative of the sound of flatulence or the act of defecation, and is part of a family of similar informal words (e.g., poo). The unrelated nautical term 'poop' (the stern of a ship) entered English in the late 15th century from Middle French 'pupe', derived from Latin 'puppis', meaning the stern of a ship. These two distinct words converged in spelling purely by coincidence, creating a homograph with very different meanings and origins.

The word 'poop' is considered a simplex word in modern English. Its primary senses (feces, defecation) are likely of imitative origin, echoing the sound or action. The nautical sense has a separate etymological path.