Obs. Forms: α. 4–7 walm(e, 6 ? qualm, 7 waulm. β. 4 welm-, 7 welm, whelm. [f. WALL sb.1, possibly repr. an unrecorded OE. derivative *wælman (*wielman, etc.). Cf. mod. Flem. (dial.) walmen to boil, bubble, Du. walmen to smoke, G. (dial.) walmen to boil, welmen to undulate, well up, flame up.
This verb appears to have become confused (esp. in the β forms) with WHELM v. (q.v.). The relationship of WAMBLE v. is obscure but may depend upon a transposition of the l. Cf. wamble, whammel, whemmel etc. = WHELM v.]
1. intr. a. Of water: To well up, gush or spout forth. Usually const. advs. forth, out, up, etc.
a. 1300. Floriz & Bl. (Hausknecht), 719. [Þe wal] He welmeþ up so he were wod And chaungeþ fram water in to blod.
a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 1561. The water is evere fresh & newe, That welmeth up with wawis bright.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., II. viii. (1495), b v. As a thynge yt boyllyth by strengthe welmyth & lepyth, and throwyth & shedyth itself all abowte.
1582. Batman, Barth. De P. R., XIII. i. 190. Other waters spring and walme out of the inner parts of the earth, as well water and pit water.
1606. Holland, Suetonius, 75. He lay with his bed chamber dores open, and oftentimes within a cloisture supported with pillers, hauing water walming out of a spring, or running from a spout in a conduit. Ibid. (1610), Camden’s Brit. (1637), 505. A place … out of which there walme Springs in great plenty.
c. 1630. Risdon, Surv. Devon (1714), II. 83. Here is a Pond … maintained by Springs, which continually welm and boil up. Ibid., 340. But of certain Pits, in the Moors of this Parish, brackish Water whelmeth forth.
1681. Chetham, Angler’s Vade-m., x. (1689), 100. On the very top of Cadier Arthur Hill in Brecknockshire, there walmeth forth a spring of water.
b. fig. To abound; be plentiful.
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, III. 114. Þe wikkid werchinge þat walmed in her daies, And ȝit woll here-after.
6. Of smoke, vapor, etc.: To swirl, billow; to issue forth in such a manner. rare.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. xliii. I. 21. A smokie fume walmeth up with many turnings like waves. Ibid. (1609), Amm. Marcell., XVII. i. 80. They saw afarre off a mightie deale of smoke waulming up into the aire.
2. To swell, bubble, as in boiling; to boil.
[1599: see QUALM v.2].
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 235. The waters boile, and walme to our desire.
Hence Walming vbl. sb. Walming ppl. a., glowing, seething; also in phr. walming hot.
c. 1530. Judic. Urines, II. ii. 12. By reason of rollyng and walmyng of the blode about in the veynes of ye body.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. ciii. I. 46. At the very foot of Ætna … for … an hundred miles, the waulming round bals and flakes of fire cast out sand and ashes. Ibid. (1610), Camden’s Brit., I. 681. The Stuples did send away a waulming hote vapor.
