Where does “helle” come from?
helle (Middle High German) comes from Old High German hellia, from Proto-West Germanic hallju, from Proto-Germanic haljō, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.
Ancestry of “helle”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | hellia | hell, afterlife |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | hallju | the netherworld, the underworld, hell |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | haljō | the netherworld, the underworld, hell |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |
Words derived from “helle”