On the origin and meaning of the surname
The Czech language contains two words that might have been behind the origin of the Hapal, Hapala surname:
- hapat – verb (in child language) to fall down, sit down
- Jungmann, J.: The Czech-German dictionary, 1835
- Bartoš, F.: Moravian dialectic dictionary, 1906
- hapalík – a wooden peg in a frame used for stretching dyed fabric
- Jungmann, J.: The Czech-German dictionary, 1835
- Technical relics of the countryside, 2003 (Czech)
Very similar or the same words can be found in other languages as well:
- in German: hopsala – (in child language) exclamation used to ask someone to jump or used when taking a child up with a swing; also words hoppla and hoppala (simlar to “Dear me!”)
- in Latin and Greek: hapala – “tender” (feminine), for example in the name of a palm Burretiokentia hapala
- in Hebrew: hapala has a similar meaning to Czech: to fall down
- in Finish: haapala can be translated as an aspen wood (forest). It is a fairly common surname in Finland, it exists also in the version with a single a – Hapala
The word „hapala“ has a simple morfology and pronounciation. It is, therefore, no surprise that it appears in multiple languages, and they might exist completely indenpendent of each other. The Czech surname has probably nothing in common with them.