Holp Help
Billy Bricks wrote that "I had never heard the term 'holped' used. Down in the flatlands it is common to hear 'hepped' used for 'helped'."
Yes, I've also heared some folks say "Can I hep you?" but that's a very different thing than "holp". You see, in Old English the word "holp" is the past tense of the verb "help". And "help" is one of those old Saxon root words of our language that today accounts for only 30% of our words but nearly 80% of our actual usage.
When the fellow said that he "holp" clear the trees he was saying he "helped" clear the trees. So, Bill, the "ed" you added is redundant as "holp" by itself is the past tense of "help". The past participle, by the way, is "holpen".
You will find the past tenses of "help" used this way in the King James translation of the Bible and in Shakespearean plays. We do have a few of the old verbs like "help" still in wide use in original form, however. "Drive", "drove", "driven" comes to mind, although it's in a somewhat different class of verbs than "help".
I hope this hath holpen ye in understanding "holp" and my excitement in finding someone who still uses it in daily conversation.
(P.S. Interestingly, the Blogger spelling checker accepts "hath" but neither "holp" nor "holpen".)
Yes, I've also heared some folks say "Can I hep you?" but that's a very different thing than "holp". You see, in Old English the word "holp" is the past tense of the verb "help". And "help" is one of those old Saxon root words of our language that today accounts for only 30% of our words but nearly 80% of our actual usage.
When the fellow said that he "holp" clear the trees he was saying he "helped" clear the trees. So, Bill, the "ed" you added is redundant as "holp" by itself is the past tense of "help". The past participle, by the way, is "holpen".
You will find the past tenses of "help" used this way in the King James translation of the Bible and in Shakespearean plays. We do have a few of the old verbs like "help" still in wide use in original form, however. "Drive", "drove", "driven" comes to mind, although it's in a somewhat different class of verbs than "help".
I hope this hath holpen ye in understanding "holp" and my excitement in finding someone who still uses it in daily conversation.
(P.S. Interestingly, the Blogger spelling checker accepts "hath" but neither "holp" nor "holpen".)
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