Etymograph

English

help

Help comes from Old English help ‘help, aid’, from Proto-Germanic *helpō ‘help’ (from *helpaną ‘to help’), and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelb- ‘to help’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱelb-‘to help’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*helpaną‘to help’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*helpō‘help, aid’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*helpureconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150help‘help, aid, assistance’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500help
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 2002help

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱelb-‘to help’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*helpaną‘to help’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*helpō‘help, aid’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*helpureconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150help‘help, aid, assistance’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500help
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 2002help

Earliest quotation: c. 2002, Scripture Study Helps: “In 1979 the Church published a Latter-day Saint edition…”

Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelb-

Another origin of help

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱelb-reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*helpan‘to help’reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150helpan‘to help, aid, assist, benefit, relieve, cure’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500helpen‘to help’
  5. Englishtodayhelp

Today it means

noun Action given to provide assistance; aid.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱelb- / help

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