English
hippity-hop
Compound of hippity + hop, in turn from hip (a regional variant of hop) + -ety.
Formed from hip + -ety
Proto-Germanic *hupiz ‘hip, haunch’
Proto-West Germanic *hupi ‘hip’
Old English hype ‘hip’
Middle English hipe ‘hip’
English hip
The story
Attested since the middle nineteenth century, with hippity-hoppity appearing somewhat earlier.
Today it means
adj Moving by hopping, having an uneven gait.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / hippity-hop