Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/haljō

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

Likely from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel-yo- or *ḱol-yeh₂-, from *ḱel- (“to cover, hide, conceal”), and cognate with *helaną (“to cover”), though note also similar words in Finno-Ugric, including Finnish koljo (“giant”) and Udmurt [script needed] (kyl', “evil spirit”), which have been considered as native Uralic words and not borrowings from Germanic.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxɑl.jɔː/

Noun

*haljō f

1. the netherworld, the underworld, hell

Inflection

ō-stemDeclension of *haljō (ō-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*haljō	*haljôz
vocative	*haljō	*haljôz
accusative	*haljǭ	*haljōz
genitive	*haljōz	*haljǫ̂
dative	*haljōi	*haljōmaz
instrumental	*haljō	*haljōmiz

Derived terms

• *haljōwītiją (“hell-punishment, hell-torment”)
  • Old English: hellewīte
  • Old Saxon: helliwīti
  • Old High German: hellawīzi
  • Old Norse: helvíti
    • Icelandic: helvíti
    • Faroese: helviti
    • Norwegian Nynorsk: helvite, helvete; (dialectal) helvet
    • Old Swedish: hælvite
      • Swedish: helvete
      • → Finnish: helvetti
    • Danish: helvede

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *hallju
  • Old English: hell, hel
    • Middle English: helle, hel, hell, hælle
      • English: hell, Hell
      • Scots: hell, Hell
  • Old Frisian: helle, hille
    • North Frisian: helle, hille, hel
    • Saterland Frisian: Hälle
    • West Frisian: hel
  • Old Saxon: hel, hellja, hellia
    • Middle Low German: helle
      • German Low German: Helle, Hölle, Hell, Höll
      • Westphalian:

        Sauerländisch: Helle

        Westmünsterländisch: Helle f, Hell m

      • Plautdietsch: Hal
  • Old Dutch: hella
    • Middle Dutch: helle
      • Dutch: hel
        • Afrikaans: hel
      • Limburgish: hel
  • Old High German: hellia, hella
    • Middle High German: helle
      • Alemannic German: Hell
      • Cimbrian: hélla
      • German: Helle, Hölle
      • Luxembourgish: Häll
      • Rhine Franconian:

        Pennsylvania German: Hell

• Old Norse: hel
  • Icelandic: hel
  • Faroese: hel
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: hel
  • Old Swedish: hæl
    • ⇒ Swedish: ihjäl, helsike
• Gothic: 𐌷𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰 (halja)
• → Proto-Finnic: *koljoi (see there for further descendants)