Where does “hellbent” come from?
hellbent (English) comes from English hell-bent, from English Hell, from German hellen, from Middle High German hëllen, from Old High German hëllan, from Proto-Germanic hellaną, from Proto-Indo-European ḱelh₁- — to warm up, to be hot; to warm up, be hot.
hellbent (English): Alternative spelling of hell-bent
Definitions
- Alternative spelling of hell-bent
Ancestry of “hellbent”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hell-bent | Recklessly determined to do or achieve something |
| 2 | English | Hell | Any of various places so named |
| 3 | German | hellen | to brighten |
| 4 | Middle High German | hëllen | to sound, to resound, to ring out; to echo |
| 5 | Old High German | hëllan | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hellaną | to resound, make a sound |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₁- | to warm up, to be hot; to warm up, be hot |