Where does “helm” come from?
helm (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch helm, from Proto-West Germanic helm, from Proto-Germanic helmaz, from Proto-Germanic halmaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱolh₂mos, from Proto-Indo-European ḱelh₂- — to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab.
Ancestry of “helm”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | helm | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | helm | helmet |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | helmaz | helmet |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | halmaz | halm; stem; stalk; straw; hay |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱolh₂mos | stalk |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₂- | to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab |