Where does “whelpless” come from?
whelpless (English) comes from English whelp, from English welp, from English well, from Middle English wellen, from Old English weallan, from Proto-Germanic wallaną, from Proto-Indo-European wēlH-, from Proto-Indo-European welH- — to turn, to wind.
whelpless (English): Without, or deprived of, a whelp
Definitions
- Without, or deprived of, a whelp
Ancestry of “whelpless”, step by step
whelpless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English whelp
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | whelp | 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 |
| 2 | English | welp | Well, typically used in exasperation |
| 3 | English | well | Accurately, competently, satisfactorily;... |
| 4 | Middle English | wellen | to boil, to bubble |
| 5 | Old English | weallan | to well |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | wallaną | to well up, spring out, bubble forth |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wēlH- | to roll, to undulate |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | welH- | to turn, to wind |