Where does “helfan” come from?
helfan (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic halbijan, from Proto-Germanic halbijaną, from Proto-Germanic halbaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kelH-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- — to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...
Ancestry of “helfan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | halbijan | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | halbijaną | to halve |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | halbaz | half |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kelH- | to cut; to split, to separate |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kel- | to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,... |
Words derived from “helfan”