Etymologically
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halo

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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

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