Where does “helmet” come from?

helmet (Middle English) comes from Old French helmet, from Old French helme, from Medieval Latin helmus, from Frankish 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.

helmet (Middle English): A helmet; an armoured piece of headgear

Definitions

  1. A helmet; an armoured piece of headgear

Ancestry of “helmet”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchhelmet—
2Old Frenchhelmehelmet
3Medieval Latinhelmushelmet
4Frankishhelmhelmet
5Proto-Germanichelmazhelmet
6Proto-Germanichalmazhalm; stem; stalk; straw; hay
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱolh₂mosstalk
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱelh₂-to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab

Words derived from “helmet”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱelh₂- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱolh₂mos →Every word from Proto-Germanic halmaz →