holped
Helped. An old mountain past tense that stuck around.
Also called holp, helped.
Updated September 24, 2026
holped pronunciation
/HOHLPT/
Meaning
Holped means helped, both as past tense and as "have holped." You hear it from older Southern and Appalachian speakers, sometimes catching themselves and switching to helped mid-sentence. Same old strong-verb stock as holp. It sounds antique to outsiders and ordinary to folks who grew up with it.
How folks use it
- “My daddy holped drive them cattle through the cove.”
- “That medicine holped me more than anything else.”
Origin and etymology
From older English strong past forms of help (holp, holpen). Horace Kephart listed holped with other mountain strong pasts that outlived schoolbook English. DARE marks it chiefly South and South Midland.
Frequently asked questions
Is holped the same as helped?
Yes. Same meaning. Holped is the older country form.