Where does “hèl” come from?
hèl (Limburgish) comes from Middle Dutch helle, from Old Dutch hella, from Proto-West Germanic hallju, from Proto-Germanic haljō, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.
Ancestry of “hèl”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | helle | Hell; underworld |
| 2 | Old Dutch | hella | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | hallju | the netherworld, the underworld, hell |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | haljō | the netherworld, the underworld, hell |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |