Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “hielfan” come from?

hielfan (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,...

hielfan (Old English): to halve, bisect

Definitions

  1. to halve, bisect

Ancestry of “hielfan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanichalbijan—
2Proto-Germanichalbijanąto halve
3Proto-Germanichalbazhalf
4Proto-Indo-European(s)kelH-to cut; to split, to separate
5Proto-Indo-European(s)kel-to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...

Words derived from “hielfan”

  • halve
  • halveth
  • halvable
  • helven
  • halven
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kel- →