Where does “whelp” come from?
Whelp descends from Old English -ian, Proto-Germanic hwelpaz and hwelpaną, and Proto-Indo-European kel- with the suffix -eh₂yéti, ultimately from the root -eh₂.
whelp (English): A young offspring of a various carnivores (canid, ursid, felid, pinniped), especially of a dog or a wolf, the young of a bear or similar mammal (lion, tiger, seal); a pup, wolf cub
Definitions
- A young offspring of a various carnivores (canid, ursid, felid, pinniped), especially of a dog or a wolf, the young of a bear or similar mammal (lion, tiger, seal); a pup, wolf cub
Ancestry of “whelp”, step by step
whelp traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English welp
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | welp | Well, typically used in exasperation |
| 2 | English | well | Accurately, competently, satisfactorily;... |
| 3 | Middle English | wellen | to boil, to bubble |
| 4 | Old English | weallan | to well |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wallaną | to well up, spring out, bubble forth |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wēlH- | to roll, to undulate |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | welH- | to turn, to wind |