halo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈhaː.ɫoː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈaː.lo]^[1]

Forms

hālō (present infinitive hālāre, perfect active hālāvī, supine hālātum); first conjugation^[1]

Etymology

Schrijver, followed by de Vaan, explains it as an early denominative from a noun Proto-Italic *anaslo- (“breath”), Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁-slo- (“a breathing”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- (“to breathe”): *anaslāye- was syncopated to *anslā- and then *ālā-.^[2][1] The initial ⟨h⟩ would be onomatopoeic or hypercorrect.^[2] Cognate with Sanskrit अनिति (ániti, “breathes”), Gothic 𐌿𐍃𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌽 (uzanan, “to breathe out”) and Old Irish anaid (“waits, remains”).^[2] The OLD compares anhēlō “to pant”.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Lucretius, who speaks of the flower of nard breathing out nectar.^[2][3] Köbler dates Lucretius 96–55 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

Transitively it meant to emit vapour or a scent, as Lucretius' nard and his heavy breath of sulphur.^[3] Intransitively it meant to give off a scent, be fragrant, as Virgil's gardens fragrant with saffron flowers and his altars breathing with fresh garlands.^[3][5] Lewis and Short call it poetic.^[5]

It may survive in Old French haler, the source of French haleter “to pant”.^[1] English exhale comes from its compound exhālāre, about 1400.^[6]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of nard breathing nectar.^[3][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of fragrant gardens.^[3][4]

Meanings

Verb

1. (transitive) To exhale, emit (vapour, a scent).^[3]
2. (intransitive) To give off a scent, be fragrant.^[3]

Word family

• adhālō
• exhālō
• halatus
• hālitō
• inhālō
• redhālō
• anhēlo
• hālitus

Related words

• anhēlus
• animus
• English exhale

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com