An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Halfter

by Friedrich Kluge

Halfter, feminine, from the equivalent Middle High German halfter, Old High German halftra, feminine, ‘halter’; compare Dutch halster, Anglo-Saxon hœlstre, English halter; a West Teutonic word most closely allied with Old High German halp, Middle High German halp, plural helbe, ‘handle, helve,’ Anglo-Saxon hylf, masculine, equivalent to English helve; in earlier Modern High German also Helb, ‘hilt, helve.’ From the same root are formed with a suffix m, Old High German halmo (for *halbmo), in Old High German jioh-halmo, Middle High German giech-halme, ‘rope fastened to the yoke to guide the oxen,’ Middle High German halme, ‘handle, helve, lever of a bell,’ halm-ackes, ‘axe’ (compare also Hellebarte), likewise Middle English halme, ‘handle’; so too the modified forms Old High German joh-helmo, Middle High German giech-helme; Anglo-Saxon helma, ‘handle’ (equivalent also to English helm), and Dutch helmstock, ‘tiller,’ are not connected with this word; see Helm (2). ‘Handle’ is the original sense of the whole group, and even of Halfter. Perhaps Lithuanian keltuvě, ‘swiple of a flail,’ is allied.