Meaning

noun an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal

verb give help or assistance; be of service

verb improve the condition of

originFrom Middle English helpinge, helpynge, helpinde, helponde, helpand, from Old English helpende, present participle of Old English helpan (“to help”), equivalent to help + -ing. Cognate with Dutch helpend, German helfend, Swedish hjälpande.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0