Whelping

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. The process by which young are brought forth in certain mammals, especially in canines, involves significant physical effort and maternal care
2. A term that describes the birthing of offspring in particular animals, notably within the canine family, reflecting maternal responsibilities
3. The event when a female dog or similar mammal delivers her puppies after pregnancy

Etymology: Whelping is the act of a female dog or similar mammal giving birth, and it comes from a word for the young themselves. "Whelp" originally meant a single young animal, especially a puppy or cub, and only later came to describe the birth. The noun traces back through Middle English to Old English "hwelp", which belongs to a Germanic family that includes German "Welpe", Dutch "welp" and Old Norse "hvelpr", all pointing to a common ancestor, Proto-Germanic "hwelpaz". The word reaches further back still, to a pre-Germanic form that scholars reconstruct as "kʷelbos", but its ultimate origin is uncertain, so nothing firm can be said about what that older root meant. What is clear is that the noun came first and the verb followed. Old English "hwelpian" was formed from "hwelp", and the English verb "whelp" was developed in Middle English as the meaning of the noun was extended to the process of producing young.

Synonyms: birthing, pupping