The word 'whump' is a classic example of onomatopoeia, a linguistic process where a word's sound directly imitates the natural noise associated with an action or object. It emerged in the English language in the late 19th to early 20th century, likely as a more expressive variant of the older 'thump,' with the initial 'wh-' adding a sense of breathy force or a whooshing descent. Its creation follows a universal pattern in language development, where speakers coin new terms to vividly capture sensory experiences, in this case, the distinctive sound of a heavy, soft impact. As such, its meaning is intrinsically and logically tied to its phonetic form rather than a historical etymology from Latin or Greek roots.

This is an onomatopoeic word, formed to imitate the sound it describes. It does not break down into meaningful morphemes derived from classical languages.