Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “whelk” come from?

whelk (English) comes from Middle English whelke, from Old English weoloc, from Proto-West Germanic *weluk.

whelk (English): Certain edible sea snails, especially, any one of...

Definitions

  1. Certain edible sea snails, especially, any one of...

Ancestry of “whelk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishwhelkeA papule; a pustule; acne
2Old Englishweoloc—
3Proto-West Germanic*weluk—

Words derived from “whelk”

  • whelked
  • whelky
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *weluk →