Etymology Explorer › Old Dutch

Where does “hella” come from?

hella (Old Dutch) comes from Proto-West Germanic hallju, from Proto-Germanic haljō, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.

Ancestry of “hella”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanichalljuthe netherworld, the underworld, hell
2Proto-Germanichaljōthe netherworld, the underworld, hell
3Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

Words derived from “hella”

  • helrivier
  • hellemoer
  • hel
  • hels
  • helwaarts
  • hellekind
  • helle
  • hèl
  • hel
  • helle
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →