helf

noun. fur

helf

noun. fur, fur, *hide

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “fur” appearing beside N. heleth “fur, fur-coat”, both derived from the root ᴹ√SKEL (Ety/SKEL). Since N. helf seems to be the cognate of ᴹQ. helma “skin, fell”, I believe helf refers to both skin and fur together and hence = “✱hide”, whereas heleth refers to just the fur itself.

Conceptual Development: Various rejected forms appeared in The Etymologies, including halath “skin, fell” from an earlier version the root ᴹ√SKAL, revised to helath “skin, fell” before being deleted (EtyAC/SKEL). Possible precursors include ᴱN. gwadh “bark, skin, peel” vs. ᴱT. suada “hide” (PE13/146), and G. dafros “bark, skin, peel” (GL/29); see those entries for details.

Changes

• helath → helf “skin, fell” ✧ Ety/SKEL

Derivations

• ᴹ✶skelmā “skin, fell” ✧ Ety/SKEL
  • ᴹ√SKEL “*strip” ✧ Ety/SKEL; EtyAC/SKEL
• ᴹ√SKEL “*strip” ✧ Ety/SKEL

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶skelmā > helf	[skelmā] > [skelma] > [sxelma] > [xelma] > [xelm] > [helm] > [helv]	✧ Ety/SKEL
ᴹ√SKEL > helath	[skelatta] > [skelattʰa] > [skelaθθa] > [sxelaθθa] > [xelaθθa] > [xelaθθ] > [helaθθ] > [helaθ]	✧ Ety/SKEL

Variations

• helath ✧ EtyAC/SKEL (helath)

half

noun. seashell

half

noun. seashell

A noun in The Etymologies of the 1930s glossed “seashell” derived from primitive ᴹ✶syalmā under the root ᴹ√SYAL (Ety/SYAL).

Cognates

• ᴹQ. hyalma “conch, shell, horn of Ulmo” ✧ Ety/SYAL

Derivations

• ᴹ✶syalmā “shell, conch, horn of Ulmo” ✧ Ety/SYAL
  • ᴹ√SYAL “*resound” ✧ Ety/SYAL

Phonetic Developments

Development	Stages	Sources
ᴹ✶syalmā > half	[sjalmā] > [sjalma] > [j̊alma] > [xalma] > [xalm] > [halm] > [halv]	✧ Ety/SYAL

heleth

noun. fur, fur-coat