Past tense of splash: to scatter liquid forcefully in different directions, or to make a big public impression.
From 'splash,' likely imitative in origin (sounds like what it describes). The word emerged in English in the 1600s as an onomatopoeia, with figurative meanings developing in the 1800s.
Onomatopoeia like 'splash' are some of the oldest words in language—they actually mimic the sounds they represent. Studies show children learn onomatopoeia earlier than regular words because the sound itself teaches the meaning.
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