May You Be Hale

I periodically become interested in the origins of words. Recently I was getting more information on the relationship between the words whole, healthy, and holy, which all derive from the Old English word hal. Curious as to the resemblance, I also looked up the work hello. There are two different theories as to the origin of this word. In the first, it derives from a contraction for the Old English phrase wes thu hal, meaning May You Be Hale. In the second, it derives from the Old English word Holla, meaning Stop.

I kind of like the idea of saying hello being an invocation of wholeness. A simple hello isn’t so simple. Spoken with intent on its meaning, it becomes a way to generate a positive feeling in both you and the person you’re greeting.

Hello. May you be hale.

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