Where does “Hel” come from?

Hel (Old Norse) comes from Proto-Germanic haljō, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.

Hel (Old Norse): death

Definitions

  1. death

Ancestry of “Hel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanichaljōthe netherworld, the underworld, hell
2Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

Words derived from “Hel”

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