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Originally a Norse greeting, it had the form ''heill ok sæll'' when addressed to a man and ''heil ok sæl'' when addressed to a woman.
Originally a Norse greeting, it had the form ''heill ok sæll'' when addressed to a man and ''heil ok sæl'' when addressed to a woman.


The adjective ''heil'' (also ''hel'') is related to the English adjective ''whole''/''hale''. The verb ''heile'' (also ''hele'') is related to the English verb ''heal'' through their common origin, the Germanic word stem ''*haila-''. The word has likewise clear connections to the German verb ''heilen'' as it is known in the [[Nazi salute|national socialist salute]] '[[Heil Hitler]]'.
The adjective ''heil'' (also ''hel'') from Old Norse heill, means whole or healthy. <ref><http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/heil></ref> It is also related to the English adjective ''whole''/''hale''. The verb ''heile'' (also ''hele'') is related to the English verb ''heal'' through their common origin, the Germanic word stem ''haila''.


The adjective ''sæl'', meaning ''happy'' or ''glad'', is in Old English documented only in the negated variant ''unsǣle'', meaning ''evil''.<ref name="Bjorvand Lindemand">Bjorvand & Lindemand (2000), page ?.</ref>
The adjective ''sæl'', from Old Norse ''sæll,'' meaning ''happy'' or ''glad'', <ref><http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/s%C3%A6ll#Old_Norse></ref> <ref><http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/s%C3%A6l></ref> is in Old English documented only in the negated variant ''unsǣle'', meaning ''evil''.<ref name="Bjorvand Lindemand">Bjorvand & Lindemand (2000), page ?.</ref>


== 20th-century use ==
== 20th-century use ==
During the [[Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany|1940–1945 German occupation of Norway]], [[Nasjonal Samling|National Unification]], being the governing and only legal political party, sought to introduce all parts of society to a greeting combining ''heil og sæl'' and a raised right hand. Whilst the attempt was not successful, the said greeting remained compulsory for party members and police.
During the [[Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany|1940–1945 German occupation of Norway]], [[Nasjonal Samling|National Unification]], being the governing and only legal political party, sought to introduce all parts of society to a greeting combining ''heil og sæl'' and a raised right hand. The attempt was not successful, but said greeting remained compulsory for party members and police.


== References ==
== References ==

Revision as of 21:25, 7 April 2015

Heil og sæl (English: lit. healthy and happy) was a common greeting in the Norse society, then spelled heill ok sæll.

Etymology

Originally a Norse greeting, it had the form heill ok sæll when addressed to a man and heil ok sæl when addressed to a woman.

The adjective heil (also hel) from Old Norse heill, means whole or healthy. [1] It is also related to the English adjective whole/hale. The verb heile (also hele) is related to the English verb heal through their common origin, the Germanic word stem haila.

The adjective sæl, from Old Norse sæll, meaning happy or glad, [2] [3] is in Old English documented only in the negated variant unsǣle, meaning evil.[4]

20th-century use

During the 1940–1945 German occupation of Norway, National Unification, being the governing and only legal political party, sought to introduce all parts of society to a greeting combining heil og sæl and a raised right hand. The attempt was not successful, but said greeting remained compulsory for party members and police.

References

Literature

  • Bjorvand, Harald and Lindemand, Fredrik Otto (2000): Våre arveord : Etymologisk ordbok