Where does “helaas” come from?
helaas (Dutch) comes from French hélas, from Old French elas, from Old French las, from Vulgar Latin laceum, from Latin laqueus, from Proto-Italic lakw- — to ensnare.
helaas (Dutch): unfortunately; !; alas!
Ancestry of “helaas”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | hélas | alas; exclamatory or declarative conjunction... |
| 2 | Old French | elas | — |
| 3 | Old French | las | alas |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | laceum | — |
| 5 | Latin | laqueus | noose; snare, gin, trap |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | lakw- | to ensnare |