helen

See also: Helen, Helén, hælen, and Hælen

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

Conjugation of helen (weak)
infinitive	helen
past singular	heelde
past participle	geheeld
infinitive	helen
gerund	helen n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	heel	heelde
2nd person sing. (jij)	heelt, heel2	heelde
2nd person sing. (u)	heelt	heelde
2nd person sing. (gij)	heelt	heelde
3rd person singular	heelt	heelde
plural	helen	heelden
subjunctive sing.1	hele	heelde
subjunctive plur.1	helen	heelden
imperative sing.	heel
imperative plur.1	heelt
participles	helend	geheeld
1) Archaic. 2) In case of inversion.

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

Conjugation of helen (weak)
infinitive	helen
past singular	heelde
past participle	geheeld
infinitive	helen
gerund	helen n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	heel	heelde
2nd person sing. (jij)	heelt, heel2	heelde
2nd person sing. (u)	heelt	heelde
2nd person sing. (gij)	heelt	heelde
3rd person singular	heelt	heelde
plural	helen	heelden
subjunctive sing.1	hele	heelde
subjunctive plur.1	helen	heelden
imperative sing.	heel
imperative plur.1	heelt
participles	helend	geheeld
1) Archaic. 2) In case of inversion.

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

Weak
Infinitive	hêlen
3rd sg. past	—
3rd pl. past	—
Past participle	—
Infinitive	hêlen
In genitive	hêlens
In dative	hêlene
Indicative	Present	Past
1st singular	hêle	—
2nd singular	hêels, hêles	—
3rd singular	hêelt, hêlet	—
1st plural	hêlen	—
2nd plural	hêelt, hêlet	—
3rd plural	hêlen	—
Subjunctive	Present	Past
1st singular	hêle	—
2nd singular	hêels, hêles	—
3rd singular	hêle	—
1st plural	hêlen	—
2nd plural	hêelt, hêlet	—
3rd plural	hêlen	—
Imperative	Present
Singular	hêel, hêle
Plural	hêelt, hêlet
	Present	Past
Participle	hêlende	—

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 [Term?] (“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