Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quhelp(e, n. Also: qwhelp(e, whelp(e, welpe. [Early ME, ME and e.m.E. whellp (Orm), qwelp (c1450), also north. quilpe (Cursor M.), OE hwelp, ON hvelp-r. Cf. Quhalp n.]

1. The young of a dog; a pup. Also proverb. a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 278.
He [sc. the dragon] folouyt hyre as it had bene The mekeste quhelpe wes euir sene 1503 Treas. Acc. II 409. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxii 11.
He … todlit with hir lyk ane quhelp 1531 Bell. Boece I 38 (see Grew- attrib.).
Grew-quhelpis a1538 Abell 12a.
He fand ane biche giffand hir paupis to the barne. … His wife fosterit him and callit him Spirtaik in his leid ane quhelp 1549 Compl. 73/23 (see 2 below). a1568 Bann. MS 263b/29.
Lyk to ane quhelp to cowche will beir him law 1601 Misc. Maitl. C. III 340.
The bigill and hir quhelpis 1631 Home Chamberlain's Acc. MS p. 12.
For v peks meill to the bitch dalie and her quhelps 1674 Cunningham Diary 45.
Grew whelpsproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 762.
He hes stollen the Whelp Stourie a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 591. Ib. No. 1619.

b. Applied, dyslogistically, to a young person or tiro. 1617 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 313.
This Jesuites whelpe had newer barked at ȝou but for the secreit grudge of religion

2. The young of a wild animal; a cub. a1400 Leg. S. iii 174.
Thar is no ber so fell no thra, Quhen hyr quhelpis ar tan hir fra Ib. xxxi 511.
Qwhelpis Ib. xxiv 438 (see Liounes n.). c1420 Wynt. iii 136.
Sampsone … slw the quhelpe [C. qwhelpe] off a lyowne 1427 Acts II 15/2.
The quhelppis of the wolfis 1513 Doug. ii vi 112. 1549 Compl. 73/23.
The beiris, lyons, voluis, foxis, and dogis, vil deffende there cauerne & there quhelpis a1585 Maitl. Q. lxxix 1.
The lyon for hir tender whelpis dois roir 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 28/26.
Lyke a lyonis quhelpe 1621-40 Melville Commonpl. Bk. 13.
The ape sa lang girdes hir whelpes till she kill it for dating

3. As a place-name element. 1222 Liber Dryburgh 62.
Et de terra Samsonis scilicet Todlaw … et de Welpelaw 1518 Treas. Acc. V 134.
De terris de Quhelplaw 1545 Blackfriars Perth 171.
My landis callit Quhelpis Haucht