Where does “helen” come from?

helen (Middle English) comes from Old English helan, from Proto-West Germanic helan, from Proto-Germanic helaną, from Proto-Indo-European ḱéleti, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.

helen (Middle English): to cure, heal; to heal, get better; to reform

Definitions

  1. to cure, heal; to heal, get better; to reform

Ancestry of “helen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishhelanto hide, conceal; to calumniate, slander; to...
2Proto-West Germanichelanto hide, to conceal
3Proto-Germanichelanąto hide, to conceal
4Proto-Indo-Europeanḱéletito be covering, hiding
5Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

Words derived from “helen”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱéleti →Every word from Proto-Germanic helaną →