hail English · revision 14942

+ Hail, frozen rain, is a native word; hail, a greeting, came from Old Norse.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /heɪl/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ {{homograph|1|frozen rain}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 750|origins=gem-pro *haglaz}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The frozen rain is [[inh|enm|hail]], [[inh|ang|hægl]], also [[m|ang|hagol]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) from [[gem-pro|*haglaz]],^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) cognate with [[ofs|heil]], [[osx|hagal]], [[goh|hagal]] (modern [[de|Hagel]]), [[nl|hagel]] and [[non|hagl]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) probably from [[ine-pro|*kaghlo-|t=pebble]], as in [[grc|κάχληξ|tr=kákhlēx|t=pebble]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) The Old English word was also the name of the rune for H.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A shower or storm of hail: probably about 750 in Barnhart, about 888 in the OED.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Hail itself is from before 1000.^(OED 1989) Middle English hail is from about 1250, in The Story of Genesis and Exodus.^(Barnhart 1988) Figuratively, a volley of things falling like hail is from 1590.^(OED 1989) In Scotland and Ireland hail also meant small shot or pellets.^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 750 – hægl.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1000 – hail.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1250 – hail (Middle English).^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1590 – a volley (figurative).^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Small pellets of ice falling from clouds.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A shower or storm of such pellets.^(Collins 2023)^(OED 1989)

+ # Something falling or directed in great quantity: ''a hail of abuse''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # Of hail, to fall, with ''it'' as subject.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # To fall or pour down like hail.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[hailstone]]

+ * [[hailstorm]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|greeting}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=c. 1200|origins=non heill}}

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The greeting is [[inh|enm|hail]], [[bor|non|heill|t=healthy, health, good luck]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) partly also a shortening of phrases such as [[m|enm|wæs hæil|t=be healthy]] (see [[wassail]]), in which hail was an adjective meaning healthy (see [[hale]] and [[whole]]).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The interjection: about 1200.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) The verb, to greet, is probably also from about 1200, in The Ormulum, and to drink a toast from before 1200, in Layamon.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The noun, a greeting, is from 1500–20.^(OED 1989) To call to someone at a distance, at first at sea, is from the 1560s,^(Etymonline) and ''hail-fellow-well-met'' from the 1580s.^(Etymonline) ''To hail from'' (1841) probably began among seamen or boatmen, according to Bartlett.^(Etymonline) The ''Hail Mary'', from about 1300, is the angel's greeting in Luke, Latin ''Ave Maria'', and a desperate long pass in American football by 1940.^(Etymonline) In Scots, Somerset and Cornwall dialect to hail was to shout or roar.^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * before 1200 – to drink a toast.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1200 – hail! (interjection).^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)

+ * c. 1300 – the Hail Mary prayer.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1560s – to hail someone at a distance.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1841 – to hail from.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Interjection===

+ # Used to express a greeting or tribute.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To greet or salute.^(AHD)

+ # To acclaim enthusiastically.^(AHD)

+ # To call out to someone to attract attention, as to a ship.^(AHD)

+ # ''hail from'': to come from a place.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A greeting, or a shout to attract attention.^(AHD)

+ # ''within hail'': within calling distance.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[Hail Mary]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[wassail]]

+ * [[hale]]

+ * [[whole]]

+ * [[health]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}