hwelp

Middle English edit

hwelp

hwelp m

puppy
- c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Matthew 15:27
  Þā hwelpas etaþ of þām crumum þe of heora hlāforda bēodum feallaþ.
  The puppies eat from the crumbs that fall from their owners' tables.
cub, pup
- late 9th century, translation of Orosius' History Against the Pagans
  Sēo lēo bringþ hungrigum hwelpum hwæt tō etenne.
  The lion brings hungry cubs something to eat.
- The Life of Malchus
  Wē ġesāwon þā lēon on þām eorþsċræfe mid hire hwelpum.
  We saw the lion in the cave with its cubs.

It is unknown exactly which set of animals hwelp could describe—perhaps the answer is simply "non-human mammals." In Old English, the word is attested for puppies, wolf pups, bear cubs, and lion cubs. In Middle English, it is attested for tiger cubs and baby monkeys as well.

Note that some animals have a special word to designate their young. Such words include bridd (“chick”), bulluc (“male calf”), ċealf (“calf,” also used of fawns), fearh (“piglet”), fola (“foal,” also used of elephant and camel calves), lamb (“lamb”), tiċċen (“kid”), and trēowwyrm (“caterpillar”). Unattested *hūn appears in many names such as Ælfhūn and is often supposed to mean “bear cub,” like Old Norse húnn, though it is unclear whether it was still used as an independent word in the Old English period.

Declension of hwelp (strong a-stem)

hwelp m