Where does “hel” come from?
hel (Swedish) comes from Icelandic hel, from Old Norse Hel, from Proto-Germanic haljō, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.
hel (Swedish): whole; complete; not broken; in order; luck;...
Definitions
- whole; complete; not broken; in order; luck;...
Ancestry of “hel”, step by step
hel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Icelandic hel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Icelandic | hel | hell (underworld), death |
| 2 | Old Norse | Hel | death |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | haljō | the netherworld, the underworld, hell |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |
via Old Norse heill
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | heill | health; omen, happiness; healthy |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | hailaz | whole, unbroken, intact; entire, complete; hale,... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | *kéh₂ilos | healthy |