Where does “halt” come from?
Halt comes from Middle English halten, from Old English healt, from Proto-Germanic haltaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European kel-.
halt (English): To limp; move with a limping gait; To stand in...
Definitions
- To limp; move with a limping gait; To stand in...
Ancestry of “halt”, step by step
halt traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English halt
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | halt | Limping, lame, crippled |
| 2 | Old English | healt | lame, limping |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | halt | lame, halt |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | haltaz | lame, halt |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kol-d- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kel- | to hit; beat; to pierce, to stab; goblet |
via French halte
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | halte | halt, pause, break; halting place; flag stop, way... |
| 2 | German | Halt | hold; adhesion; foothold; grip; support |
| 3 | Middle High German | halt | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *haldiz | — |
via Middle French halt
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | halt | — |