Where does “helen” come from?
helen (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch hêlen, from Old Dutch helan, from Proto-West Germanic helan, from Proto-Germanic helaną, from Proto-Indo-European ḱéleti, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.
helen (Dutch): to heal; To accept stolen goods; to fence
Definitions
- to heal; To accept stolen goods; to fence
Ancestry of “helen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | hêlen | to hide, to conceal, to keep secret, to keep quiet |
| 2 | Old Dutch | helan | to hide, to conceal |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | helan | to hide, to conceal |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | helaną | to hide, to conceal |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱéleti | to be covering, hiding |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |