holp

English

Etymology

From Middle English holp (first and third person singular past indicative of helpen (“to help”)), from Old English healp (first and third person singular past indicative of helpan (“to help”)), from Proto-Germanic *halp (first and third person singular past indicative of *helpaną (“to help”)). More at help. Cognate with Dutch hielp (“holp”) and German half (“holp”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hɒlp/, /həʊlp/
• (Southern American English, AAVE, obsolete) IPA^(key): /hoʊp/
• Rhymes: -ɒlp, -əʊlp

Verb

holp

1. (archaic) simple past of help
   • c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:

     Thou art my warrior; I holp to frame thee.

   • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

     Both, both, my girl. / By foul play, as thou sayest, were we heav'd thence, / But blessedly holp hither.

2. (Southern US, African-American Vernacular, obsolete) Synonym of help

Anagrams

• hopl-, loph