English
hellbender
From hell + bender, possibly from hell-bent.
Proto-Germanic *haljō ‘hell’
Proto-West Germanic *hallju ‘the netherworld’
Old English hel
Middle English hel
English hell
Today it means
noun A giant salamander (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) of North America that inhabits large, swiftly flowing streams with rocky bottoms.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / hellbender