Plural of helm, referring to steering wheels or tillers of ships, or protective headgear worn by medieval warriors.
From Old English 'helma' meaning rudder or steering gear, related to 'healm' meaning handle. The armor sense comes from Old English 'helm' meaning protective covering for the head, both from Proto-Germanic *helmaz meaning 'protector'.
It's fascinating that 'helm' means both the thing that protects your head and the thing that steers your ship - both are about control and protection in dangerous situations. When we say someone is 'at the helm', we're using a nautical metaphor that's been steering English idioms for centuries.
Helm (leadership role) is historically male-coded; maritime and organizational leadership was systematically reserved for men through institutional and legal barriers.
Use leadership, command, or navigation roles descriptively without gendered default; specify person's actual title.
["leadership role","command position","helm operator"]
Women captains, navigators, and helm operators existed across maritime history but were erased from official records; modern maritime leadership recovery work highlights these contributions.
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