Helm

See also: helm, hełm, helʹm, and helḿ

English

Etymology 1

Perhaps so called from the 'helm' or cap of clouds that forms above Cross Fell (known as the Helm Bar) and can predict and accompany a Helm.

Proper noun

the Helm

1. The wind that blows westward from the Pennine fells over Cumbria and is often accompanied by a line of clouds on top of the hills called the Helm Bar; it is the only named wind in the British Isles.

   Synonym: Helm Wind

Etymology 2

Two main origins:

• An English topographic surname for someone who lived by or worked at a temporary shelter for animals, from Middle English helm (“a helmet; a protection”).
• Borrowed from German Helm (“a helmet”), metonymic occupational surname for a maker of helmets.

Proper noun

Helm (countable and uncountable, plural Helms)

1. (countable) A surname.
2. (uncountable) A placename, from the surname:
   1. An unincorporated community in Fresno County, California, United States.
   2. An unincorporated community in Russell County, Kentucky, United States.
   3. An unincorporated community in Pulaski County, Missouri, United States.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Helm is the 3087^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 11649 individuals. Helm is most common among White (86.39%) individuals.

Further reading

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Helm”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 2, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 160.

German

Etymology

From Middle High German hëlm, from Old High German hëlm, from Proto-West Germanic *helm, from Proto-Germanic *helmaz. Compare Low German Helm, Dutch helm, English helm, Danish hjelm.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hɛlm/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Noun

Helm m (strong, genitive Helmes or Helms, plural Helme)

1. helmet

   Die Pickelhaube war ein historischer Helm, der von den Preußen und später, nach der Vereinigung Deutschlands unter Reichskanzler Otto von Bismarck im Jahre 1871, die Deutschen benutzt wurde.

   The pickelhaube was a historical helmet, that was used by the Prussians and later, after the unification of Germany under chancellor Otto von Bismarck in 1871, the Germans.

2. (architecture) helm roof
3. (heraldry) helmet, as shown above a coat of arms

Declension

Declension of Helm [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Helm	die	Helme
genitive	eines	des	Helmes, Helms	der	Helme
dative	einem	dem	Helm, Helme1	den	Helmen
accusative	einen	den	Helm	die	Helme

¹Now rare, see notes.

Hyponyms

helmet

• Blauhelm
• Bügelhelm
• Fahrradhelm
• Feuerwehrhelm
• Flügelhelm
• Glockenhelm
• Integralhelm
• Kampfhelm
• Kappenhelm
• Kolbenturnierhelm
• Legionärshelm
• Motorradhelm
• Pickelhaube
• Polizeihelm
• Reiterhelm
• Ritterhelm
• Schutzhelm
• Spangenhelm
• Spitzhelm
• Stahlhelm
• Stechhelm
• Sturzhelm
• Taucherhelm
• Topfhelm
• Tropenhelm
• Turnierhelm
• Wappenhelm

architecture

• Dachhelm
• Knickhelm
• Spitzhelm
• Turmhelm
• Zwiebelhelm

Holonyms

• (heraldry): Oberwappen

Derived terms

• helmartig, helmförmig, behelmt

Related terms

architecture

• Helmdach
• Helmgewölbe

heraldry

• Helmbusch
• Helmdecke
• Helmgitter
• Helmkleinod
• Helmkrone
• Helmrost
• Helmschmuck
• Helmstutz
• Helmwulst
• Helmzeichen
• Helmzier

Further reading

• “Helm” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Helm” in Duden online
• “Helm” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
• Friedrich Kluge (1883), “Helm”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891

Luxembourgish

Etymology

Backformed (perhaps under German influence) from the plural of older Hellem, from Middle High German hëlm, from Old High German hëlm, from Proto-West Germanic *helm, from Proto-Germanic *helmaz.

Cognate with German Helm, Dutch helm, English helm, Icelandic hjálmur.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hælm/

Noun

Helm m (plural Helmer)

1. helmet