An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Held

by Friedrich Kluge

Held, masculine, from the equivalent Middle High German helt (genitive hęldes), masculine, late Old High German hęlid, ‘hero’; corresponding to Old Saxon hęlith, Anglo-Saxon hœlep- (nominative singular, hœle), ‘man, hero,’ Old Icelandic hǫlðr, hǫldr (from *haluþr), and halr, ‘man,’ Teutonic halē̆þ-, from kalē̆t-, kalét-, may most probably be connected with Irish calath, Breton calet, ‘hard.’