Where does “helmet” come from?
Helmet comes from Middle English helmet, from Old French helme, from Frankish helm, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel-, meaning to conceal or cover.
helmet (English): A protective head covering, usually part of...
Definitions
- A protective head covering, usually part of...
Ancestry of “helmet”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | helmet | A helmet; an armoured piece of headgear |
| 2 | Old French | helmet | — |
| 3 | Old French | helme | helmet |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | helmus | helmet |
| 5 | Frankish | helm | helmet |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | helmaz | helmet |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | halmaz | halm; stem; stalk; straw; hay |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱolh₂mos | stalk |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₂- | to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab |