Where does “held” come from?

held (Middle English) comes from Old English hielde, from Proto-Germanic halþijōn, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.

Ancestry of “held”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhieldeslope, declivity
2Proto-Germanichalþijōn—
3Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →Every word from Proto-Germanic halþijōn →Every word from Old English hielde →
held — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer