Helmet Is a Little Helm
A helmet protects the head. The word is a diminutive, and the ship's helm is a different word entirely.
A helmet is protective headgear. The word is a diminutive of *helm*, an older English word for the same thing, with a French ending attached — literally a little helm. The ship's *helm*, meaning the steering apparatus, is an unrelated word from a different Old English root meaning a handle.
- Protective headgear. *A cycling helmet.*
- Helm — an older word for a helmet. *A knight's helm.*
- Helm — a ship's steering gear. *Take the helm.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | helmet | A crash helmet. |
| Plural | helmets | Two helmets. |
| Related | helm | Under the helm. |
| Adjective | helmeted | Helmeted riders. |
| Related | William | From a name meaning will-helmet. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Helmets became compulsory for riders.Motorcycling.
- She took the helm of the company.Figurative: took charge.
- William means resolute protection.*Will* plus *helm*.
Names containing *helm*
- William — will plus helmet, meaning resolute protection
- Wilhelm — the German form of the same name
- Helmut — a German name from the same element
- Anselm — god plus helmet
- Helm — also a surname
From Old French *helmet*, a diminutive of *helme*, from a Germanic word related to Old English *helm*, a protective covering.
Are the two helms the same word?
No. The headgear helm and the steering helm come from different Old English roots that happen to look alike.
What does the name William mean?
Resolute protection, from Germanic elements meaning will and helmet.