helm

See also: Helm, hełm, hel'm, and helm'

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: hĕlm, IPA^(key): /hɛlm/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛlm

Etymology 1

From Middle English helm, helme, from Old English helma, from Proto-Germanic *helmô (“handle”). Compare German Holm (“beam”).

Noun

helm (plural helms)

1. (nautical) The steering apparatus of a ship, especially the tiller or wheel.

   Synonyms: tiller, wheel

2. (maritime) The member of the crew in charge of steering the boat.

   Synonym: helmsman

3. (figurative) A position of leadership or control.

   the helm of the Commonwealth

   • 2011 January 11, Jonathan Stevenson, “West Ham 2 - 1 Birmingham”, in BBC‎^[2]:

     Grant will be desperate to finish the job of getting West Ham to their first Wembley cup final in 30 years when they meet Birmingham in the second leg at St Andrews on 26 January; though arguably of more pressing concern is whether he will still be at the helm for Saturday's Premier League encounter with Arsenal.

4. One at the place of direction or control; a guide; a director.
   • (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     the helms o' the State, who care for you like fathers

5. (obsolete, UK, dialect) A helve.

Derived terms

• at the helm
• take the helm

Translations

steering apparatus of a ship

• Arabic: دَفَّة f (daffa)
• Armenian: ղեկ (hy) (ġek)
• Asturian: timón m
• Belarusian: штурва́л m (šturvál), стырно́ n (styrnó)
• Bulgarian: кормило (bg) n (kormilo), щурва́л (bg) m (šturvál)
• Catalan: timó (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 舵 (zh) (duò)

• Czech: kormidlo (cs) n
• Danish: ror (da) n
• Dutch: helmstok (nl) m or f
• Finnish: ruori (fi)
• French: barre (fr) f
• Galician: temón m, timón m
• German: Steuer (de) n, Ruder (de) n, Steuerruder n, Steuerung (de) f
• Greek: πηδάλιο (el) n (pidálio)

  Ancient: πηδάλιον n (pēdálion)

• Hebrew: יָדִית הֶגֶה (he) m (yadit hege), גַּלְגַל הֶגֶה (he) m (galgal hege), הֶגֶה (he) m (hegeh)
• Hungarian: kormány (hu)
• Irish: halmadóir m
• Italian: timone (it) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 舵 (ja) (かじ, kaji)
• Korean: 키 (ko) (ki)
• Latin: gubernāculum n
• Macedonian: кормило n (kormilo)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: ror (no) n

  Nynorsk: ror n

• Polish: ster (pl) m
• Portuguese: timão (pt) m
• Romanian: cârmă (ro) f, timonă (ro) f
• Russian: штурва́л (ru) m (šturvál), корми́ло (ru) n (kormílo) (dated or poetic)
• Scottish Gaelic: failm f, falmadair m, stiùir f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: кормило n

  Roman: kormilo (sh) n

• Slovak: kormidlo n
• Slovene: krma (sl) f, krmilo (sl) n
• Spanish: timón (es) f
• Swedish: roder (sv) n
• Turkish: dümen (tr)
• Ukrainian: штурва́л m (šturvál), стерно́ n (sternó)

maritime: member of the crew in charge of steering

• Bulgarian: рулеви m (rulevi)
• Danish: styrmand c
• Dutch: stuurman (nl) m, roerganger (nl) m
• Finnish: ruorimies (fi)
• German: Steuermann (de) m, Steuerfrau f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: timoniere (it) m
• Macedonian: кормила́р m (kormilár)
• Russian: рулево́й (ru) m (rulevój)
• Spanish: timonel m or f

metaphor: position of leadership or control

• Bulgarian: власт (bg) f (vlast), управление (bg) n (upravlenie)
• Danish: ror (da) n
• Dutch: roer (nl) n
• Finnish: kippari (fi)
• Galician: temón m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: al comando / at helm, alla guida, al timone, timoniere (it), condottiero (it) m, duce (it) m
• Macedonian: кормило n (kormilo)
• Russian: корми́ло (ru) n (kormílo)
• Scottish Gaelic: stiùir f
• Swedish: roder (sv) n

Verb

helm (third-person singular simple present helms, present participle helming, simple past and past participle helmed)

1. To be a helmsman or a member of the helm; to be in charge of steering the boat.
   • (Can we date this quote by Tennyson and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     A wild wave […] overbears the bark, / And him that helms it.

2. (by extension) To lead (a project, etc.).
   • 2014, Malcolm Jack, "John Grant with the Royal Northern Sinfonia review – positively spine-tingling", The Guardian, 1 December 2014:

     “I wanted to change the world, but I could not even change my underwear,” sings John Grant at the piano, in a luxuriant baritone croon as thick and healthy as his beard. It’s hard to reconcile the guy who once struggled to so much as put on clean pants back in the bad old days – well-storied, not least through his own songs – with the one warmly and gracefully helming this complex, prestigious production – the penultimate date on a tour of packed concert halls, backed by an orchestra.

   • (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     the business he hath helmed

Derived terms

• helmer

Etymology 2

From Middle English helm, from Old English helm (“helmet”), Proto-Germanic *helmaz (“protective covering”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelmos, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover; hide; protect”); Compare West Frisian helm, Dutch helm, Low German Helm, German Helm, Danish, Norwegian hjelm.

Noun

helm (plural helms)

1. (rare, poetic) A helmet.
   • (Can we date this quote by Merlin and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     The kynge Ban be-gan to laugh vndir his helme.

   • 1927, Edgar Rice Burrows, The Outlaw of Torn‎^[3], HTML edition, The Gutenberg Project, published 2008:

     "A fearful apparition," murmured Norman of Torn. "No wonder he keeps his helm closed."

2. (heraldry) A helmet.
3. A heavy cloud lying on the brow of a mountain.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)

Derived terms

• behelm

Etymology 3

Noun

helm (plural helms)

1. Alternative form of haulm (a straw)

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Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch helm.

Noun

helm (plural helms)

1. helmet

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Albanian

Etymology

From Proto-Albanian *hal(i)m, from Proto-Indo-European *sKel- (“to cut (off)”). Cognate to Old High German scalmo (“plague, pestilence”), Welsh claf (“sick”).

Noun

helm m (plural helme, definite helmi, definite plural helmet)

1. poison

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɦɛlm/, [ɦɛɫm], [hɛɫm], [ˈɦɛ.ləm], [ˈhɛ.ləm]

• audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: helm
• Rhymes: -ɛlm

Etymology 1

From Old Dutch *helm, from Proto-Germanic *helmaz. Compare West Frisian helm, Low German Helm, German Helm, Danish hjelm.

Noun

helm m (plural helmen, diminutive helmpje n)

1. helmet
2. (heraldry) helmet

Derived terms

• blauwhelm
• bouwhelm
• fietshelm
• gevechtshelm
• helmdoek
• helmkroon
• helmteken
• integraalhelm
• krijgshelm
• mijnhelm
• mijnwerkershelm
• motorhelm
• oorlogshelm
• pothelm
• racehelm
• ridderhelm
• ruiterhelm
• soldatenhelm
• strijdhelm
• toernooihelm
• valhelm
• wapenhelm

Descendants

• Afrikaans: helm

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

helm f or n (uncountable)

1. European beachgrass, Ammophila arenaria

Derived terms

• helmgras

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Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch helm.

Noun

helm (first-person possessive helmku, second-person possessive helmmu, third-person possessive helmnya)

1. helmet (protective head covering)

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Ludian

Etymology

Akin to Finnish helma.

Noun

helm

1. hem

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Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English helm, from Proto-Germanic *helmaz.

Alternative forms

• helme, hælm, halm, healm

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hɛlm/

Noun

helm (plural helmes or helmen)

1. A helmet; a piece of armoured headgear.
   • 1275, Layamon's Brut

     Luken sweord longe, leiden o þe helmen.

     (They drew their swords and put on their helms.)

   • 1475, An Apology for Lollard Doctrines, Attributed to Wycliffe

     Þe helm of hel and þe swerd of þe Spirit.

2. (figurative) Any kind of protection or safeguarding.
3. (figurative, rare) A soldier; a fighting-man.
4. (rare, biblical) The crown of thorns that Jesus wore.

Related terms

• helmen
• helmet

Descendants

• English: helm
• Scots: helm

References

• “helm (n.)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-18.

Etymology 2

From Old English helma.

Noun

helm

1. Alternative form of helme

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Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *helmaz (“protective covering”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover, to hide”). Compare Old Frisian helm, Old Saxon helm, Old High German helm, Old Norse hjalmr, Gothic 𐌷𐌹𐌻𐌼𐍃 (hilms).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /xelm/, [heɫm]

Noun

helm m (nominative plural helmas)

1. helmet
2. protection, defense
3. covering, crown
4. summit, top (of trees)
5. protector, lord

Declension

Declension of helm (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	helm	helmas
accusative	helm	helmas
genitive	helmes	helma
dative	helme	helmum

Derived terms

• bānhelm (“helmet, shield”)
• bārhelm (“helmet with the image of a boar”)
• behelmian (“to cover over”)
• cynehelm, cynehealm (“diadem, royal crown; royal power.”)
• cynehelmian (“to crown”)
• grīmhelm (“helmet (with visor)”)
• gūþhelm (“helmet”)
• hæleþhelm, heoloþhelm (“helmet which makes the wearer invisible”)
• hēahhelm (“loftily crested”)
• helmberend (“helmeted warrior”)
• helmian, hilman, hylman (“to cover, crown; provide with a helmet”)
• hilman (“helmet, cover”)
• irsenhelm, īsenhelm (“iron helmet”)
• lēafhelmig (“leafy at the top”)
• leþerhelm (“leathern helmet”)
• lyfthelm (“air, mist, cloud.”)
• misthelm (“covering of mist”)
• nihthelm (“shades of night.”)
• oferhelmian (“to overshadow”)
• sceaduhelm (“darkness”)
• sundhelm (“covering of water, sea”)
• wæterhelm (“covering of ice”)
• wuldorhelm (“crown of glory”)

Descendants

• Middle English: helm
  • English: helm

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Old High German

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *helmaz. Compare Old Saxon helm, Old English helm, Old Norse hjalmr, Gothic 𐌷𐌹𐌻𐌼𐍃 (hilms).

Noun

helm m

1. helmet

Descendants

• Middle High German: helm
  • German: Helm
    • Polish: hełm