Where does “helm” come from?
helm (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic 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.
helm (Old English): helmet; protection, defense; covering, crown
Definitions
- helmet; protection, defense; covering, crown
Ancestry of “helm”, step by step
helm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Proto-West Germanic helm
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | helm | helmet |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | helmaz | helmet |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | halmaz | halm; stem; stalk; straw; hay |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱolh₂mos | stalk |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₂- | to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab |
via Germanic *helm
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germanic | *helm | — |