Holp
/hɒlp/noun
An archaic or dialectal past tense of “help.”
Did you know?“Holp” appears in the King James Bible, including Isaiah 44:2: “I have made thee, and holp thee,” preserving an older English verb form now largely replaced by “helped.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kelp-
“A reconstructed root meaning to help or support, though its reconstruction and exact sense are uncertain.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*helpaną
“To help, aid, or support.”
Old English
Old English
heolpan
“To help or assist; its singular past form was “healp.””
Old English
Old English
healp
“Helped; the past tense form that developed into later “holp.””
Middle English
Middle English
holp
“Helped; an established past-tense form of “help.””
Modern English
English
holp
“An archaic or dialectal past tense of “help,” surviving in older literature and biblical language.”