Etymology Explorer › Finnish

Where does “Vilhelm” come from?

Vilhelm (Finnish) comes from Swedish Vilhelm, from Old High German Willahelm, from Old High German helm, from Proto-West Germanic helm, from Proto-Germanic helmaz, from Proto-Germanic halmaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱolh₂mos, from Proto-Indo-European ḱelh₂- — to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab.

Ancestry of “Vilhelm”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1SwedishVilhelm—
2Old High GermanWillahelmWilliam
3Old High Germanhelmhelmet
4Proto-West Germanichelmhelmet
5Proto-Germanichelmazhelmet
6Proto-Germanichalmazhalm; stem; stalk; straw; hay
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱolh₂mosstalk
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱelh₂-to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab

Words derived from “Vilhelm”

  • Vili
  • Vilho
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱelh₂- →