helvede n (singular definite helvedet, plural indefinite helveder)
From Old Norse helvíti, from Hel, hel (“the goddess of the realm of the dead”) (itself from Proto-Germanic *haljō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover, hide, conceal”)) + víti (“punishment”). Compare Norwegian and Swedish helvete, Icelandic and Faroese helvíti, also Old English hellewīte.