Where does “hell” come from?

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

hell (Old English): hell

Definitions

  1. hell

Ancestry of “hell”, 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 “hell”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →
hell — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer