Where does “help” come from?
help (Afrikaans) comes from Dutch helpen, from Middle Dutch helpen, from Old Dutch helpan, from Proto-West Germanic helpan, from Proto-Germanic helpaną, from Proto-Indo-European ḱelb- — help.
help (Afrikaans): to help
Ancestry of “help”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | helpen | to help; to provide, to supply; to get hooked, to... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | helpen | to help, to aid, to assist; to be helpful, to be... |
| 3 | Old Dutch | helpan | to help, to assist |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | helpan | to help |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | helpaną | to help |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelb- | help |