Where does “hell” come from?
hell (German) comes from Middle High German hel, from Old High German hel, from Proto-Germanic halliz, from Proto-Germanic hellaną, from Proto-Indo-European ḱelh₁- — to warm up, to be hot; to warm up, be hot.
hell (German): clear, bright, light
Ancestry of “hell”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | hel | resounding, loud, shining, bright; tired, weak |
| 2 | Old High German | hel | resounding |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | halliz | resounding |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hellaną | to resound, make a sound |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₁- | to warm up, to be hot; to warm up, be hot |
Words derived from “hell”