Helve

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /hɛlv/

Definitions

1. The handle of an axe or hatchet, typically made of wood
2. The sturdy wooden or metal handle attached to tools like axes, facilitating effective use and control while cutting
3. The long part of a cutting tool, usually made of solid material, that is held during use

Etymology: The handle of an axe or hatchet has a name that is less familiar than the tool itself. "Helve" comes from Old English "hielfe", which passed into Middle English as "helfe" and "helve" before settling into its modern form. Its ancestor in the reconstructed Germanic parent language was "*halbiją", a form that carries a useful hint about its meaning, since the root may be connected to "half", which in turn suggests the idea of a part or side. The connection is not certain, however. Some etymologists link the word instead to "halter" and "helm", tying it to notions of holding or gripping, and the two possibilities point in different directions. Either way, the sense has stayed remarkably stable: a helve is the grip by which a tool is held and steered, and the word has kept that narrow, practical meaning for centuries.

Synonyms: handle