help

== English == === Pronunciation === enPR: hĕlp, IPA(key): /hɛlp/ (Southern US, African-American Vernacular, dated) enPR: hĕp, IPA(key): /hɛp/ Rhymes: -ɛlp === Etymology 1 === From Middle English help, from Old English help (“help, aid, assistance, relief”), from Proto-Germanic *helpō (“help”), *hilpiz, *hulpiz, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelb-, *ḱelp- (“to help”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hälpe (“help”), West Frisian help (“help”), Cimbrian hölfe (“help”), Dutch hulp (“help”), German Hilfe (“help, aid, assistance”), Luxembourgish Hëllef (“help”), Mòcheno hilf (“help”), Vilamovian hyłf (“help”), Yiddish הילף (hilf, “help”), Danish hjælp (“help”), Faroese, Icelandic hjálp (“help”), Norwegian Bokmål hjelp (“help”), Norwegian Nynorsk hjelp, hjølp (“help”), Swedish hjälp (“help”). ==== Noun ==== help (usually uncountable, plural helps) (uncountable) Action given to provide assistance; aid. Something or someone which provides assistance with a task. (computing) Documentation provided with computer software that could be accessed using the computer. (countable) A study aid. (usually uncountable) One or more people employed to help in the maintenance of a house or the operation of a farm or enterprise. (uncountable) Correction of deficits, as by psychological counseling or medication or social support or remedial training. ===== Usage notes ===== The sense “people employed to help in the maintenance of a house” is usually an uncountable mass noun. A countable form — “a hired help”, “two hired helps” — is attested, but now less common. Helper could be used if no more specific noun is available. ===== Quotations ===== For quotations using this term, see Citations:help. ===== Synonyms ===== (action given to provide assistance): aid, assistance ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === From Middle English helpen, from Old English helpan (“to help, aid, assist, benefit, relieve, cure”), from Proto-West Germanic *helpan, Proto-Germanic *helpaną (“to help”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelb-, *ḱelp- (“to help”). Cognate with North Frisian halep, heelpe, help (“to help”), Saterland Frisian hälpe (“to help”), West Frisian helpe (“to help”), Cimbrian hölfan (“to help”), Dutch helpen (“to help”), German helfen (“to help”), Low German helpen, hölpen, hülpen (“to help”), Luxembourgish hëllefen (“to help”), Yiddish העלפֿן (helfn, “to help”), Danish hjælpe (“to help”), Faroese, Icelandic hjálpa (“to help”), Norwegian Bokmål hjelpe (“to help”), Norwegian Nynorsk hjelpa, hjelpe (“to help”), Swedish hjälpa (“to help”), Gothic 𐌷𐌹𐌻𐍀𐌰𐌽 (hilpan, “to help”), Lithuanian šelpti (“to help, support”). ==== Verb ==== help (third-person singular simple present helps, present participle helping, simple past helped or (archaic) holp, past participle helped or (archaic) holp or (archaic) holpen) (transitive) To provide assistance to (someone or something). (transitive) To assist (a person) in getting something, especially food or drink at table; used with to. (transitive) To contribute in some way to. (intransitive) To provide assistance. (transitive) To avoid; to prevent; to refrain from; to restrain (oneself). Usually used in nonassertive contexts with can. (Hong Kong, Singapore) To do something on the behalf of someone. (Singapore, Singlish, imperative) To assist or sympathize with (the speaker); used to express displeasure, disappointment or exasperation. Compare Malay tolong (“help; please”) and Hokkien 導郎 / 导郎 (tō͘-lông, “help; please”) Help lah. ― Give me a break. ===== Usage notes ===== Use 4 is often used in the imperative mood as a call for assistance. In uses 1, 2, 3 and 4, this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. It can also take the bare infinitive with no change in meaning. In use 5, can't help is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing) or, with but, the bare infinitive. For more information, see Appendix:English catenative verbs ===== Conjugation ===== ===== Synonyms ===== (provide assistance to): aid, assist, come to the aid of, help out; See also Thesaurus:help (contribute in some way to): contribute to (provide assistance): assist; See also Thesaurus:assist ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Interjection ==== help! A cry of distress or an urgent request for assistance. (Robin Hood (1973)) (Internet slang, text messaging) A way to signal uncontrollable laughter; implying the risk of dying of laughter and needing assistance. ===== Translations ===== === References === === Anagrams === Pehl == Afrikaans == === Etymology === From Dutch helpen, from Middle Dutch helpen, from Old Dutch helpan, from Proto-West Germanic *helpan, from Proto-Germanic *helpaną. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɦɛlp/ === Verb === help (present help, present participle helpende, past participle gehelp) to help == Dutch == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ɦɛlp/ Rhymes: -ɛlp === Etymology 1 === ==== Interjection ==== help! help! ===== Alternative forms ===== hellep, hellup === Etymology 2 === See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form. ==== Verb ==== help inflection of helpen: first-person singular present indicative (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative imperative == Esperanto == === Etymology === From the bare root of helpi, following the model of English help! considered as internationally understood. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /help/ Rhymes: -elp Syllabification: help === Interjection === help Help! (as a cry of distress) == North Frisian == === Alternative forms === halep (Föhr-Amrum) heelpe (Mooring) === Etymology === From Old Frisian helpa, from Proto-West Germanic *helpan. === Pronunciation === (Sylt) IPA(key): /hɛlpʰ/ === Verb === help (present help, 2nd singular helpst, 3rd singular helpt, past holp, perfect holpen) (Heligoland, Sylt) to help == Old English == === Etymology === From Proto-West Germanic *helpu, from Proto-Germanic *helpō. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /xelp/, [heɫp] === Noun === help f help ==== Declension ==== Strong ō-stem: ==== Descendants ==== Middle English: help English: help Scots: help === References === Joseph Bosworth; T. Northcote Toller (1898), “help”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, second edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press. == Old Norse == === Verb === help first-person singular present indicative active of hjalpa == Welsh == === Etymology === Borrowed from English help. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /hɛlp/ === Noun === help m (uncountable, not mutable) help, aid Synonyms: cymorth, cynhorthwy ==== Derived terms ==== help llaw (“a helping hand”) helpu (“to help”) == West Frisian == === Etymology === From Old Frisian helpe, from Proto-Germanic *helpō. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /hɛlp/ === Noun === help c (plural helpen, diminutive helpke) help, assistance, aid Synonyms: assistinsje, bystân ==== Further reading ==== “help (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011 == Yola == === Etymology === From Middle English helpen, from Old English helpan, from Proto-West Germanic *helpan. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /hɛlp/ === Verb === help to help === References === Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 104