Etymology Explorer › Old Norse

Where does “Hel” come from?

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

Ancestry of “Hel”, step by step

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

Words derived from “Hel”

  • helvetti
  • helvetillinen
  • helvettimäinen
  • helvetinkone
  • helvetisti
  • helvete
  • helvete
  • helvete
  • helvíti
  • helvítis
  • helvískur
  • helvíti
  • helviti
  • helviti
  • helvet
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →