Where does “Hilfssprache” come from?
Hilfssprache (German) comes from German Hilfe, from Middle High German hilfe, from Old High German hilfa, from Proto-Germanic hilpiz, from Proto-Germanic helpaną, from Proto-Indo-European ḱelb- — help.
Hilfssprache (German): auxiliary language
Ancestry of “Hilfssprache”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Hilfe | help |
| 2 | Middle High German | hilfe | — |
| 3 | Old High German | hilfa | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hilpiz | help |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | helpaną | to help |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelb- | help |