Where does “hélas” come from?
hélas (French) comes from Old French elas, from Old French las, from Vulgar Latin laceum, from Latin laqueus, from Proto-Italic lakw- — to ensnare.
hélas (French): alas; exclamatory or declarative conjunction...
Definitions
- alas; exclamatory or declarative conjunction...
Ancestry of “hélas”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | elas | — |
| 2 | Old French | las | alas |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | laceum | — |
| 4 | Latin | laqueus | noose; snare, gin, trap |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | lakw- | to ensnare |
Words derived from “hélas”