Wallop comes from Old North French walop ('a gallop'), originally meaning to gallop; the sense of striking a heavy blow developed in English by the 19th century. In current use it is a verb and noun meaning "to strike hard, or a heavy resounding blow". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The history is mainly one of transmission into English, with the older form and sense carried through borrowing or adaptation. A central historical form is Old French walop. Related English forms include gallop. Derived forms include walloper and walloping. The semantic development is therefore important as well as the form: the word moves from the older concrete, technical, or literal setting into the present figurative or specialized sense.