† hulch, n. and a. Obs.
[Origin obscure.
The identity of meaning between hulch, hulch-back, hulch-backed, and hunch, hunch-back, hunch-backed, suggests that the two groups are connected; but the relations between them are at present undetermined. That they are mere phonetic variants seems to be negatived by the chronology; for while all the members of the hulch group are in Cotgr. 1611, only hunch-backed is known to be possibly of similar age, hunch-back being of the 18th, and hunch of the 19th c. (See hunch v.) Cf. also huck-backed, s.v. huck n.1; huckle-backed, s.v. huckle n.; hulck-backed below.]
A. n. A hump. Hence hulched a., humped.
| 1611 Cotgr., Bosse,..also, a hulch in the backe. Bossé, swollen, risen, bunchie, hulched, puffed vp. Ibid., Gibbasse..a great bunch, or hulch-like swelling. Gibbe, a bunch, or swelling; a hulch; any thing that stands poking out. |
B. adj. or attrib. Hunched. Also in comb. hulch-backed a., hunch-backed, hump-backed; also transf. of round-backed tools.
| 1611 Cotgr., Gibbar, a kind of slender, and long-nosed Whale, that hath a hulch backe. Ibid., Gibbeux, hulch, bunched, much swelling, imbossed. Ibid. s.v. Pacquet, Il porte son pacquet..(said of one that is hulch-backt). 1653 Urquhart Rabelais i. xxvii. 130 Little hulchback't demi⁓knives. 1685 Cotton tr. Montaigne III. 243 A man with a hulch back. 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. vii. 315/1 The other [is] an Hulch or round Backed Cleaver. 1708 Motteux Rabelais v. Prol. (1737) p. lxii, Little hulch-back'd æsop. |
Hence † hulch v. trans., to make ‘hulch’ or humped; to ‘bundle’ up.
| 1676 G. Etherege Man of Mode iii. iii, I hate to be hulched up in a coach; walking is much better. |