Heil og sæl
Heil og sæl (English: healthy and happy) was a common greeting in the Norse society.
During the Second World War, the national socialist party in Norway attempted to reintroduce the greeting.
Etymology
Originally a Norse greeting, it had the form heill ok sæll when addressed to a man, and heil ok sæl when 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 national socialist salute “Heil Hitler”.
The adjective sæl, meaning happy or glad, is in Old English documented only in the negated variant unsǣle, meaning wicked [1].
Literature and sources
- Bjorvand, Harald, and Lindeman, Fredrik Otto (2000): Våre arveord : Etymologisk ordbok
- Norwegian Language Council: Kvinnenavn, cup, healing
References
- ^ Hall, John R. Clark. A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary. Retrieved 4 January 2015.