helen

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɦeː.lə(n)/
• Hyphenation: he‧len
• Rhymes: -eːlən

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch hêlen, from Old Dutch *hēlen, from Proto-West Germanic *hailijan, from Proto-Germanic *hailijaną.

Verb

helen

1. (ergative) to heal.
   • 1805, IJsbrand van Hamelsveld (tr.), Jeremiah 46, 11, De Bijbel, uit het Hebreeuwsch. Het Oude Testament, Johannes Allart (publ.), page 908.

     Ga vrij naa Gileäd! om balzemen te halen, / Egijptisch maagd! Vergeefs bereidt gij artzenij; / Daar 's geen genezen aan, geen helen aan uw wonden!

     Go off to Gilead to get some balms, / Egyptian virgin! In vain you prepare medicine; / There is no curing, no healing for your wounds!

   De tijd die alle wonden heelt.

   The time that heals all wounds.

   (Marco Borsato – Wereld Zonder Jou)

Inflection

Synonyms

• genezen

Derived terms

• aanhelen
• heelkunde
• heler
• heling
• verhelen

Descendants

• Afrikaans: heel

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch hēlen, from Old Dutch *helan, from Proto-West Germanic *helan, from Proto-Germanic *helaną (“hide, conceal”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱéleti. The modern sense is probably borrowed from early modern German hehlen.

Verb

helen

1. To accept (and sell) stolen goods; to fence.

   Je hebt die spullen geheeld en dat is strafbaar.

   You have accepted those stolen things and that is illegal.

Inflection

Derived terms

• heler
• heling
• verhelen

Middle Dutch

Etymology 1

From Old Dutch *helan, from Proto-West Germanic *helan, from Proto-Germanic *helaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱéleti.

Verb

hēlen

1. to hide, to conceal, to keep secret, to keep quiet

Inflection

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Derived terms

• behēlen

Descendants

• Dutch: helen

Etymology 2

From Old Dutch *hēlen, from Proto-Germanic *hailijaną.

Verb

hêlen

1. to heal, to make better
2. to fix, to mend, to repair
3. to make whole

Inflection

Alternative forms

• heilen (Limburgish)

Descendants

• Dutch: helen
• Limburgish: heile

Further reading

• “helen (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “helen (III)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “helen (II)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page II
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “heelen”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page heelen

Middle English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɛːlən/

Etymology 1

From Old English hǣlan, from Proto-West Germanic *hailijan, from Proto-Germanic *hailijaną (“to heal”).

Alternative forms

• helien, healen, hælen, hæliȝe, ȝele, heilen, haile

Verb

helen (third person singular simple present heleþ, simple past and past participle held)

2. (transitive) to cure, heal
3. (intransitive) to heal, get better
4. to reform

Descendants

• English: heal
• Scots: heal

References

• “hēlen, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

A merger of Old English helan (“to conceal, cover, hide”, strong verb) and helian (“to conceal, cover, hide”, weak verb), from Proto-West Germanic *helan, from Proto-Germanic *helaną (“to conceal, stash, receive stolen goods”) and (“to conceal”), both from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to hide”).

Alternative forms

• hely, helie, helye, helien, helyen, hel, heyle, hellen, heole, heolen

Verb

helen (simple past heled or hal, past participle heled or hole)

1. to cover
2. to clothe
3. to roof (cover with a roof)
4. to embrace
5. to conceal, hide
6. to shelter, protect
7. to be silent, keep a secret

Descendants

• English: hele, heel
• Scots: heil
• Yola: helt, hulth (preterite)

References

• “hēlen, v.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 3

Noun

helen

1. plural of hele (“concealment”)

Alternative forms

• helan (Early Middle English)

Etymology 4

Noun

helen

1. plural of hele (“heel”)

Alternative forms

• helan