Where does “helic-” come from?
helic- (Latin) comes from Ancient Greek ἕλιξ, from Ancient Greek πτερόν, from Proto-Indo-European péth₂r̥, from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- — to spread out; to fly.
Ancestry of “helic-”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ancient Greek | ἕλιξ | Anything twisted, winding, or spiral; The tendril... |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | πτερόν | feather; wing; Any winged creature |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | péth₂r̥ | wing; feather |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | peth₂- | to spread out; to fly |