Revolution (*wel-), hell

Revolution from revolve from Middle English revolven ‎(“to change direction”), a borrowing from Old French revolver ‎(“to reflect upon”), from Latin revolvere, present active infinitive of revolvō ‎(“turn over, roll back, reflect upon”), from re- ‎(“back”) + volvō ‎(“roll”), from Proto-Indo-European *welw-, *wel- ‎(“to turn, wind, round”). Cognate with Ancient Greek ἐλύω ‎(elúō, “to roll around”), εἰλύω ‎(eilúō, “to enfold”), εἴλω ‎(eílō, “to roll up, pack close”), ἑλίσσω ‎(helíssō, “to turn round, to roll”), ἕλιξ ‎(héliks), Old Armenian գելում ‎(gelum), Old English wielwan, wealwian ‎(“to roll”).

Etymology of "hell" is uncertain to say the least. Linguists tie the word to PIE root *ḱel- ‎(“to cover, conceal, save”).

Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hälle ‎(“hell”), German Low German Hell ‎(“hell”), Dutch hel ‎(“hell”), German Hölle ‎(“hell”), Swedish helvete ‎(“hell”), Icelandic hel ‎(“the abode of the dead, death”). Also related to the Hel of Germanic mythology.

in Ancient Greek the PIE root *kel- gives καλύπτω ‎(kalúptō), Καλυψώ ‎(Kalupsṓ) and in Greek: καλύπτω ‎(kalýpto), κέλυφος ‎(kélyfos)

I propose that the tie with PIE *kel- (of hell) is replaced with *wel- (as above) and direct semiological connection being made with helix.

It makes sense phonetically too, allthough I can't in any way rule out the kel>sel>hel or kel>wel>hel change. Unfortunately for the intermediate steps to occur there must be sound reason to accept these. Since etymology of hell proves so ambiguous I propose the simplest connection which is with *wel-.

It's meaning of "turning over", "switch", and "move on" fit in better with the notion that was widespread accross Ancient Europe of life switching places and it's movement from the "upper world" to the "under world" than merely "covering one's body" which was not always the case. Many cultures burned their dead. In Greece each city state had it's own customs, other burning, while other burying their dead.

(Είδωλα των νεκρών) Charon in his ferry and souls of the deceased flying about (Photo Source: Great Greek Encyclopedia, Volume X., page 520)

In Xenophon (hellinica 1.3.15) we meet the name Ἕλιξος which is correctly translated as Helixus (the Megarian) into English.

In Sanskrit we encounter मण्डल (máṇḍala) which one of it's notions is the wheel of life, from birth to death, which further strengthens the turning notion. It is also of interest that the PIE root *wel- in Sanskrit gives उल्ब (ulba, "womb", membrane surrounding the embryo)