Luck or chance, especially something that happens by accident rather than being planned.
From Old Norse 'happ' meaning 'luck' or 'fortune.' Common in Scandinavian languages, it entered English through Viking contact and became part of Middle English.
The word 'hap' is the root of 'happen,' 'happy,' and 'haphazard'—all stemming from the idea that good fortune just comes to you by chance, which is why happy people were once called 'fortunate'!
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