Whelm Definition

Origin of Whelm

• From Middle English whelmen (“to turn over, capsize; make an arch cover; experience a reversal"), akin to Middle English whelven (“to cover over, bury; invert; bring to ruin, to move by rolling"), akin to Old English ahwelfan, ahwylfan (“to cast down, cover over"), Old English helmian (“to cover"), akin to Old Saxon bihwelbian, Dutch welven (“to arch") German wölben, Old High German welben, Icelandic hvelfa (“to overturn; compare"), Ancient Greek κόλπος (kolpos, “bosom, hollow, gulf").

  From Wiktionary

• Middle English whelmen to overturn probably alteration (influenced by helmen to cover) of whelven from Old English -hwelfan (as in āhwelfan to cover over)

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition