Where does “hlast” come from?

hlast (Old High German) comes from Proto-Germanic hlastuz, from Proto-Indo-European kleh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European kelh₂- — to beat; to break.

Ancestry of “hlast”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Proto-Germanic	hlastuz	load, burden, cargo, freight
2	Proto-Indo-European	kleh₂-	to put; to lay out
3	Proto-Indo-European	kelh₂-	to beat; to break

hlast — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer