Hellum

Dutch

Etymology

First attested as hellum in the 13th century. Potentially a compound of either Old Frisian Halle (a personal name) or Proto-Germanic *halha- (“bend in a highland”) and heem (“home, settlement”). An alternative hypothesis proposes a derivation from helm (“helmet”); several nearby toponyms contain the element schild (“shield”). Compare Hall and Hallum.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈɦɛ.lʏm/
Hyphenation: Hel‧lum

Proper noun

Hellum n

A village in Midden-Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands

References

van Berkel, Gerard, Samplonius, Kees (2018) Nederlandse plaatsnamen verklaard (in Dutch), Mijnbestseller.nl, →ISBN