Etymologically

Etymology and origin of the Proto-West Germanic word *hallu

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
Inherited from
Proto-Germanic *hallō
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European *ḱel-
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Proto-Indo-European *ḱel-
Proto-Germanic *hallō
Proto-West Germanic *hallu
German Halle
Old English heall
English hall
Hungarian hall
The word's journey
From the same root
Proto-Germanic *helaną ← *ḱel-
English hallmark ← hall
English hallway ← hall

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *hallu "hall".[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Germanic *hallō (“hall”),[2][3] which Orel writes *xallō and EWA *χallō-.[4][3] Ringe and Taylor cite Proto-Northwest Germanic *hallu, which went through *hællu to West Saxon heall and Anglian hall, the West Saxon form with breaking before *ll.[5] It is also one of their examples of the loss of the ō-stem nominative singular *-u in Old English.[6] EWA derives *χallō- from *χal-nō-, with assimilation of *-ln- to *-ll-,[3] and Orel from *xal-n-ō, based on the verb *xelanan "to hide".[4]

Morphology

A feminine ō-stem.[7][3] The Heliand has the dative singular ⟨hallu⟩ and the accusative ⟨halla⟩.[7]

Evidence

The noun is attested in Old English heall, Old Saxon halla and Old High German halla.[5] Old High German has it only twice, for "temple" and "market",[3] and Old Dutch halla appears in Latin contexts, as for a market hall at Oudenburg and in the Gros Brief of 1187.[8] Wiktionary gives the Old Frisian forms only as reconstructions.[1] Gamillscheg derives Old French halle, recorded from the 12th century and already specialised for "market hall", from Frankish *halla, and hardly as an earlier West Germanic loan.[9] His Romania Germanica also indexes a Lombard halla.[10]

Meanings

  1. hall[5][1]

Old English also used the word for "dwelling, house",[11] and Old High German for "market hall, temple hall".[3]

Reflexes

  • Old English: heall (“hall, dwelling, house”)[11]
  • Old Saxon: halla (“hall”)[7]
  • Old Dutch: halla (“hall, market hall”)[8]
  • Old High German: halla (“market hall, temple hall”)[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *hallu
  2. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hallō
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. halla
  4. ^ a b Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 156
  5. ^ a b c Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 185
  6. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 285
  7. ^ a b c Tiefenbach, Heinrich (2010), Altsächsisches Handwörterbuch / A Concise Old Saxon Dictionary, Berlin / New York: De Gruyter, p. s.v. halla
  8. ^ a b Oudnederlands Woordenboek (2009–), Instituut voor de Nederlandse Taal, Leiden; gtb.ivdnt.org, p. s.v. halla
  9. ^ Gamillscheg, Ernst (1966–1969), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der französischen Sprache, 2nd, fully revised ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. s.v. halle
  10. ^ Gamillscheg, Ernst (1970), Romania Germanica: Sprach- und Siedlungsgeschichte der Germanen auf dem Boden des alten Römerreichs, vol. 1: Zu den ältesten Berührungen zwischen Römern und Germanen. Die Franken, 2nd ed., Berlin: de Gruyter, p. 309
  11. ^ a b Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. heall

Related etymologies

  • *stain · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *beran · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *sōkijan · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *fimf · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *hail · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *hertā · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *busk · also from Proto-Germanic
  • *reht · also from Proto-Germanic
Cite this entry

“*hallu.” Etymologically, 16 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/gmw-pro/*hallu. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·