*helpan

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *helpan for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *helpaną (“to help”),^[1][2] which Kroonen cites by its stem *helpan-, Köbler as *helpan and EWA as *χelpe/a-.^[2][3][4] Ringe and Taylor give its Proto-Germanic present second and third singular as *hilpizi "you help", *hilpidi "(s)he helps", continued by the Old High German third singular hilfit and, after syncope, by Old English hilpst, hilpþ.^[5]

Morphology

A strong verb of class III.^[4][6] Ringe and Taylor class Old English helpan, healp, hulpon, holpen with the class III verbs whose root has e before l and a consonant.^[7] Old Frisian also has the by-form hilpa, which Boutkan and Siebinga explain by analogy with the second and third singular of the present.^[8]

Evidence

The verb is attested in Old English helpan, Old Frisian helpa, Old Saxon helpan and Old High German helfan, and EWA calls it common Germanic.^[4] In Old Dutch, ONW records the imperative hilp in the Old Low Franconian psalms, dated there to 901–1000, and further forms in Williram's commentary on the Song of Songs of about 1100.^[9]

Meanings

1. to help^[1]

Old English also used the verb for "to heal, to improve",^[10] Old Frisian for "to be of use",^[11] and Old High German for "to support, to be of use".^[4]

Derivatives

• Wiktionary reconstructs Proto-Germanic *helpō (“help”), formed from the verb;^[12] Köbler sets up the same noun behind Old English helpe and Old Saxon helpa.^[13][14]

Reflexes

• Old English: helpan (“to help, to support, to heal”)^[10]
• Old Frisian: helpa (“to help, to be of use”)^[11]
• Old Saxon: helpan (“to help, to remedy”)^[15]
• Old Dutch: helpan (“to help”)^[9]
• Old High German: helfan (“to help, to assist, to support”)^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *helpan
2. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 219
3. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *helpan
4. ^ a b c d e Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. helfan
5. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 293
6. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. helpan
7. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 347
8. ^ Boutkan, Dirk; Siebinga, Sjoerd Michiel (2005), Old Frisian Etymological Dictionary, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 1, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. helpa
9. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. helpan
10. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. helpan
11. ^ a b Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. helpa
12. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *helpaną
13. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *helpō
14. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. helpa
15. ^ Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. helpan