helpen

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch helpen, from Old Dutch helpan, from Proto-West Germanic *helpan, from Proto-Germanic *helpaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɦɛl.pə(n)/

• audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: hel‧pen
• Rhymes: -ɛlpən

Verb

helpen

1. (transitive) to help

   Wie mag ik helpen? ― Whom may I help?

2. (transitive) to provide, to supply [+ aan (with)]

   Bedankt dat je mij aan dat truitje hebt geholpen! ― Thanks for getting me that sweater!

3. (transitive) to get hooked, to cause (someone) to be very keen (on), addicted or depended [+ aan (to)]

   Die vriendengroup had haar aan de drank geholpen. ― That circle of friends got her addicted to alcohol.

Inflection

Inflection of helpen (strong class 3+7)
infinitive	helpen
past singular	hielp
past participle	geholpen
infinitive	helpen
gerund	helpen n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	help	hielp
2nd person sing. (jij)	helpt	hielp
2nd person sing. (u)	helpt	hielp
2nd person sing. (gij)	helpt	hielpt
3rd person singular	helpt	hielp
plural	helpen	hielpen
subjunctive sing.1	helpe	hielpe
subjunctive plur.1	helpen	hielpen
imperative sing.	help
imperative plur.1	helpt
participles	helpend	geholpen
1) Archaic.

Derived terms

• aanhelpen
• afhelpen
• behelpen
• bijhelpen
• doorhelpen
• helper
• meehelpen
• onthelpen
• ophelpen
• terechthelpen
• uithelpen
• verhelpen
• voorthelpen
• vooruithelpen
• weghelpen

Related terms

• hulp

Descendants

• Afrikaans: help
• Berbice Creole Dutch: helpu
• Javindo: helpen
• Jersey Dutch: hälpe
• Negerhollands: help
• Skepi Creole Dutch: halp
• → Caribbean Javanese: hèlep, ngèlep

Low German

Verb

helpen

1. Alternative spelling of hölpen

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch helpan, from Proto-West Germanic *helpan, from Proto-Germanic *helpaną.

Verb

helpen

1. to help, to aid, to assist
2. to be helpful, to be beneficial

Inflection

Strong class 3
Infinitive	helpen
3rd sg. past	halp
3rd pl. past	holpen
Past participle	geholpen
Infinitive	helpen
In genitive	helpens
In dative	helpene
Indicative	Present	Past
1st singular	helpe	halp
2nd singular	helps, helpes	holps, holpes
3rd singular	helpt, helpet	halp
1st plural	helpen	holpen
2nd plural	helpt, helpet	holpt, holpet
3rd plural	helpen	holpen
Subjunctive	Present	Past
1st singular	helpe	holpe
2nd singular	helps, helpes	holpes
3rd singular	helpe	holpe
1st plural	helpen	holpen
2nd plural	helpt, helpet	holpet
3rd plural	helpen	holpen
Imperative	Present
Singular	help, helpe
Plural	helpt, helpet
	Present	Past
Participle	helpende	geholpen

Descendants

• Dutch: helpen
  • Afrikaans: help
  • Berbice Creole Dutch: helpu
  • Javindo: helpen
  • Jersey Dutch: hälpe
  • Negerhollands: help
  • Skepi Creole Dutch: halp
  • → Caribbean Javanese: hèlep, ngèlep
• Limburgish: hèlpe

Further reading

• “helpen”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “helpen”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

Middle English

Alternative forms

• help, elp, helpi, healpe, heolpe, halpen, hælpan

Etymology

From Old English helpan, from Proto-West Germanic *helpan, from Proto-Germanic *helpaną.

Verb

helpen (third-person singular simple present helpeth, present participle helpende, first-/third-person singular past indicative holp, past participle holpen)

1. to help
   • 14th c. Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales. General Prologue: 15-18.

     And specially from every shires ende
     Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,
     The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
     That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.

     And specially from every shire's end
     Of England to Canterbury they travel,
     To seek the holy blessed martyr,
     Who helped them when they were sick.

Conjugation

Conjugation of helpen (strong class 3)

infinitive	(to) helpen, helpe
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	helpe	halp
2nd-person singular	helpest	holpe, halp
3rd-person singular	helpeth	halp
subjunctive singular	helpe	holpe1
imperative singular		—
plural2	helpen, helpe	holpen, holpe
imperative plural	helpeth, helpe	—
participles	helpynge, helpende	holpen, holpe, yholpen, yholpe

¹Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
²Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Derived terms

• unhelpen

Descendants

• English: help
• Scots: help
• Yola: help

References

• “helpen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Middle Low German

Etymology

From Old Saxon helpan (“to help”), from Proto-West Germanic *helpan, from Proto-Germanic *helpaną. Cognate with English helpan, Dutch helpen and German helfen.

Pronunciation

• (originally) IPA^(key): /hɛlpən/

Verb

helpen

1. to help

Conjugation

Conjugation of helpen as a class 3b strong verb

Plain Infinitive	helpen
Full Infinitive (Gerund)	tô helpene or tô helpende
Verbal Noun	helpen or helpent
Participles			Imperatives
Present	helpende		2nd Person Singular	help
Past	gehulpen		2nd Person Plural	helpet
	Indicative		Subjunctive
	Present	Preterite	Present	Preterite
1st Person Singular	helpe	halp	helpe	hülpe
2nd Person Singular	helpest or helpst	hulpest or hülpest	helpest	hülpest
3rd Person Singular	helpet or helpt	halp	helpet	hülpe
Plural	helpen (helpet?)	hulpen or hülpen	helpen	hülpen

Descendants

• German Low German: helpen, hölpen

West Frisian

Noun

helpen

1. plural of help