< Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic

Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/helmô

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

Usually thought to be from Proto-Indo-European *ḱél-mō, earlier *ḱél-mn̥, from the root *ḱel- (“to cover”); equivalent to *helaną +‎ *-mô. Cognate with Sanskrit शर्मन् (śárman, “shelter, protection”).[1] However, the semantic connection is weak.

An alternative theory by Kroonen links *halmaz and *helmaz (“haulm, straw, stalk, cane”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱélh₂-m(on)-, assuming the original meaning of *helmô was closer to “cane” and referred just to the shaft of a handle implement.[2][3]

Note the presence of *(s)- in the related synonyms.

Noun

*helmô m[1][4]

  1. handle, especially for steering a boat: helm, tiller
  2. rudder
    Synonym: *rōþrą

Inflection
masculine an-stemDeclension of *helmô (masculine an-stem)
singular plural
nominative *helmô *helmaniz
vocative *helmô *helmaniz
accusative *helmanų *helmanunz
genitive *hilminiz *helmanǫ̂
dative *hilmini *helmammaz
instrumental *hilminē *helmammiz

Descendants
  • Proto-West Germanic: *helmō
    • Old English: helma
    • Old Saxon: *helma
      • Middle Low German: helm; holm (-o- from -a-? or from a zero-grade?)
    • Old Dutch: *helma
    • Old High German: halme
  • ⇒ Old Norse: hjalmvǫlr, hjalmurvǫlr, hjalmarvǫlr, hjalmunvǫlr

References
  1. Orel, Vladimir (2003) “xelmaz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 168
  2. Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*halma-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 204–205: “*helma-”
  3. Kroonen, Guus (2011) “*helm, *hulmaz”, in The Proto-Germanic n-stems: A study in diachronic morphophonology, Amsterdam, New York: Rodopi, →ISBN, pages 162–163
  4. Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*helman-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 219
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