Middle English Dictionary Entry
whelp n.
Entry Info
| Forms | whelp n. Also whelpe, welp(e, (chiefly N & NM) qwelp(e, quelp(e, (N) quilpe, (early SW) ȝwelp, hweolp & (in names) wheolpes-, walp-, hvelpe-, cuelp- & (errors) whelþ, help; pl. whelpes, etc. & whelpus, whelppis, qhelpis, (early) hwelpes. |
| Etymology | OE hwelp, hwylp, hwealp, (Merc.) welp, (Nhb.) huoelp; for place names also cp. ON: cp. OI hvelpr. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The young of the dog, a puppy; a dog, esp. a young or small one; also in fig. context [quot. c1275]; also, an unborn pup; hound ~; bicche ~, a female puppy or dog;
(b) the offspring of various other animals, a cub, etc.; also, an unborn cub, etc.; also in fig. context; ~ of a lioun, lioun (liounes) ~ [see also lioun n.(1) 1.(e)]; bere (fox, wolf) ~; tigre ~, a figure of a tiger cub;
(c) as a term of abuse, used insultingly or derisively: contemptible wretch, son of a bitch, worthless dog; also, with ref. to a witch’s animated device: misbegotten thing [quot. c1475]; dogges (fox) ~; whelpes of develes, helle ~, spawn of the devil; fendes ~, a vicious or detestable person;
(d) some contrivance or part of a device, prob. made of iron and associated with a winch and ropes: ?a projection on a windlass; ?a clamp or bracket of some kind [cp. dogge n. 4.];
(e) error for wolf n.;
(f) in surnames and place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.270,272].
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.MQuad.(Hrl 6258B)271/7 : De canibus: Wyþ ealle sar, ȝyf þu on forewearde sumera þiȝest hwylce help [OE hwelp] na þonne ȝit ȝesodena, ne ongyst þu æniȝ sar.
- c1175 Stw.57 Gloss.(Stw 57)411 : Canis, id est hund; Catuli, id est whelpes.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)15814 : Let þu þa hundes…eiðer freten oðer, swa hund deð his broðer, and leten heore whelpes whæruen heom bi-sides.
- ?a1300 Sirith (Dgb 86)287 : Me þinkeþ þat þou art wod; Ȝeuest þo þe welpe mustard?
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)273/270 : He louede þat foule þing As a biche doþ hure welp.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)2399 : A welp he brouȝt Bifor tristrem.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mark 7.28 : It is not good to take the bred of sones and sende to houndis [L canibus]…litle welpis [L catelli] eten vndir the bord of the crummes of children.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.257 : Rage he koude, as it were right a whelpe.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)1166/14 : Þe bicche goþ wiþ whelpe in hire wombe foure score dayes.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)1171/19 : Hound whelpes ben whelped wiþ sawynge teeþ.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)46 : They beren here whelpes ix wekes.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)29/78 : Haue we nowþer conig ne cat…All er etin vp ful clene, Es nowther leuid biche ne whelþ [read: whelp]…And þai er fled þat suld vs help.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)524 : Whelp, lytyl hownde: Catellus, catulus.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)891-2 : Hym thouȝt þat his grebyche lay hym besyde As gret wt whelp as he myyt go, And þat þe whelpus wt-in hure body…Burke fast at þe kyng.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)361/12 : Sho had a little bykk whelpe.
- c1450 Ryl.Prov.& R.(Ryl Lat 394)93 : While the welpe pleyes, the olde dog grennys.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)632 : As he souȝt his logging, he appid oppon a whelp That lay vndir a steyir, a grete Walssh dogg.
- a1475 Gilb.Angl.(Wel 537)12/1 : Take a ȝonge whelpe and slit him a-two And caste awei þe guttis and ley it al hoot to þe fore-hede.
- a1475 Mourn.Hare (Brog 2.1)76 : With leke-worttes I am eette a-none, And whelpes play with my skyne.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)5838 : Leness whellp, þær þær itt iss Whellpedd, tær liþ itt stille Þre daȝhess, alls itt wære dæd.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)104/15 : Þe Vnicorne of wreaððe…haueð six hwelpes [Nero: hweolpes]; Þe earste is chast oðer strif.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)105/14 : Þis leaste beore hwelp [Nero: hweolp] is grimmest of alle.
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.King (LdMisc 108)72 : A wilde wolf…lickede it…riȝt ase he wolde is owene ȝwelp with wilde bestes it wuste.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)16.13 : Hij token me as a lyon redy to his praie, and a welpe of a lyon wonand in hydels.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2627 : Ther nas no tygre…Whan that hir whelp is stole…So cruel on the hunte as is Arcite.
- c1390 Disp.Virg.& Cross (Vrn)277 : To helle he horlede…Beerynge as a Beore whelp.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)685/30 : Þer ben in watres an hundrede and foure and fourty maner of kyndes of fysshe…som conceyuene whelpes by dede of generacoun bitwene male and femel, as þe whale.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)1234/20 : Pantera…whelpeþ but oones…whan þe whelpes wexen stronge in þe modres wombe…he hateþ þe moder and renteþ here wombe wiþ clawes.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)1235/28 : Þe pard is swiþe cruelle whan his whelpes ben ystolen.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)1246/14 : Whanne þe ape haþ two whelpes, sche bereþ þat sche loueþ best in hire armes.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)1266/24 : Vipera haþ þat name for he bringeþ forþ brood by strengþe…þe whelpes…gnaweþ and freteþ þe sydes of þe moder.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)7103 : A lion quilpe [Frf: quelp] þat ran ouer-thuert, Rampand to sampson he stert.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)18645 : Leon quelpe [Göt, Frf: quelp] quen it es born, Lijs ded ai to þe thrid morn.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)36 : Þe fixen, whan she is with welpes…and is hevy…holdith hur euermore nye her hoole.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Is.34.15 : There an irchoun hadde dichis, and nurschide out whelpis [WB(1): litle chittes; L catulos].
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.3.112 : If he…rejoiseth hym to ravyssche be wiles, thow schalt seyn hym lik to the fox whelpes.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)126/32 : He ȝaue liff to mans soule as doþ þe lion to is qwelpe.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)307/28 : Þai fande in þe wud a wulfe den, & þer was wulfe-whelpis þerin.
- c1450 Gt.Chron.(Gldh 3313)119 : A sotilte: A tygre lokyng in a Myrrour, And a man ridyng upon an horse bakke armed with a tigre whelpe in his arme.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.97 : Þe leonesse hatȝ qhelpys.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)243 : We haue longe tyme fedde þere with þe serpente & hir whelpes.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Add 9066)366 : A bere whos whelpes are take awaye…of grete Ire spareth no beste.
- ?c1500 It fell ageyns (Roy 19.B.4)22 : The fox…saide…‘I haue a wyf, and sche lyeth seke; many smale whelppis sche haue to eke.’
c
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)415 : Letters he made to Angys, þe welp, And bad he schuld cum, him to help.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)8732 : We han almast…Four score þousinde, And Cristes grace, þat schal ous helpe, To kerue doun riȝt þe heþen welpes.
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)1733 : Þow fox [vrr. sory, dogges] welp, Þe god schel þe noþing help.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.281 : Cambinhoy beres him coy, þat fendes whelp.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)45/72 : Saue þi serwaunt from helle qwelp.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.474 : The bysshop badde she shold…areyse this bagg and make hym carie, Hymsilf aloone without ony mannes helpe—ffor soth it was an vgglye whelpe!
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)56.5 : Warldis lufers…ere the whelpis of deuels.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)113/426 : Thou art an yll qwelp ffor angre!
d
- (1356) *Pipe Roll (PRO) 32 Edw.III m.34/1 [OD col.] : Ferrum. Idem computat expendisse…in factura iij Whelpes, j gross[i] Wynche pro factura cordarum infra Turrim London, c lb. De quibus Whelpes et Wynches debet respondere.
e
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)141b : A Welpe: lupus, i. morbus et piscis.
f
- (1166) EPNSoc.16 (Wil.)390 : Welplaga.
- (1196) EPNSoc.16 (Wil.)390 : Walpleia.
- (1200) EPNSoc.16 (Wil.)390 : Welpele.
- (1227) EPNSoc.2 (Bck.)213 : Hvelpeleghe.
- (1253) Select Pleas Forest in Seld.Soc.13106 : Petro Welp.
- (1269) Close R.Hen.III162 : Petri de Whelp.
- (1278) Close R.Edw.I465 : Richard le Whelp.
- (1278) EPNSoc.21 (Cum.)278 : Cuelpou.
- (1289) Chester R.in Chet.n.s.84137 : Alice le Welpe.
- (1305) EPNSoc.21 (Cum.)278 : Quelphowe.
- (a1325) in Sundby Dial.Wor.()61 : Foxwelp.
- (1359) Reg.Edw.Blk.Pr.3.365 : John Whelp.
- (1392) EPNSoc.42 (Wm.) ()25 : Whelprigg.
- (1401) in Sundby Dial.Wor.61 : Wheolpesruydynge.
- (1461) RParl.5.480b : John Whelpdale, Clerk.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1400-02) Doc.Manor in MP 3461 : In stipendio Wilhelmi Joye carpentarii scalpantis meremium pro iiij postibus novis una cum imposicione unius whepe unius overway ac eciam bordantis latera ex ultralibet parte molendini.
Note: Needed for form: Also (error) whepe.
Note: Belongs to sense (d).
Note: This is likely to be an error for MED whelp n. (and not a new entry). See sense (d), last gloss.
Note: See dogge n., sense 4.: "a heavey metal clamp or brace of some kind." Perhaps a whelp is a smaller clamp.--notes per MLL