Helpan

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Old English infinitive meaning to give aid or support to another person so they can accomplish something
2. An archaic verb form, from Old English, meaning to lend assistance or come to the aid of someone
3. The Old English verb for providing assistance, support or relief to a person in need of it

Etymology: Help is a native English verb, inherited from the Germanic languages spoken by the Anglo-Saxons. Its Old English form, "helpan," matches Old Saxon "helpan," Old High German "helfan," and Gothic "hilpan." Old English verbs like this followed a strong conjugation pattern, so the past tense was "healp" and the past participle was "holpen," a form that has largely vanished from everyday speech. "Holpen" survives mainly in older religious and literary English. The King James Bible uses it in Luke 1:54, where the verb describes God having "holpen his servant Israel," meaning helped him. Readers who meet the form today usually recognize it only from that archaic register.