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Loading... Jun 5, 2018 · whelm (v.) early 14c., probably from a parallel form of Old English -hwielfan (West Saxon), -hwelfan (Mercian), in ahwelfan "cover over;" probably altered by association with Old English helmian "to cover," from Proto-Germanic *hwalbjan , from PIE *kuolp- "to bend, turn" (see gulf (n.)).
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What does Whelm mean?
When was Whelm first used?
Where does the word whelmen come from?
Why is Whelm called 'archaic'?
Whelm is labeled as "archaic" in NOAD, as it has fallen out of use. Left in its wake are the would-be superlative overwhelm (which, rather than actually meaning "more than whelmed", has simply taken over its parent's definition) and its opposite underwhelm .
The earliest known use of the verb whelm is in the Middle English period (1150—1500). OED's earliest evidence for whelm is from before 1300, in Cursor Mundi: a Northumbrian poem of the 14th century.
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Where does the noun whelm come from? Earliest known use. late 1500s. The earliest known use of the noun whelm is in the late 1500s. OED's earliest evidence for whelm is from around 1576. It is also recorded as a verb from the Middle English period (1150—1500). whelm is formed within English, by conversion. Etymons: whelm v. See etymology.
First recorded in English around 1300 A.D., "whelm" is probably rooted in the Old English word "hwelman," meaning "to overturn," "to cover" or "to capsize," and is closely related to the obsolete English word "whelve," which meant "to cover over or to hide."
The meaning of WHELM is to turn (something, such as a dish or vessel) upside down usually to cover something : cover or engulf completely with usually disastrous effect. How to use whelm in a sentence.
Oct 4, 2022 · Whelm is an archaic word that means “to engulf or submerge,” especially in the context of water. For example: The stormy waves soon whelmed the ocean liner, sinking it to the bottom of the sea. Lifeguards jumped into the lake to save the whelmed swimmer.
