Where does “hjälplös” come from?
hjälplös (Swedish) comes from Swedish -lös, from Old Swedish løs, from Old Norse lauss, from Proto-Germanic lausaz, from Proto-Indo-European lewH- — louse.
hjälplös (Swedish): helpless
Ancestry of “hjälplös”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Swedish | -lös | Added on a noun to yield an adjective denoting a... |
| 2 | Old Swedish | løs | loose, free; unchecked, unstoppable; soft,... |
| 3 | Old Norse | lauss | loose |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lausaz | loose, free; empty, devoid; false, untrue |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lewH- | louse |