Hail-Fellow or Hale-Fellow?
Bill Froelich from WTCM
asked about a word he encountered while reading: hail-fellow or hale-fellow. He
wasn’t sure of the spelling.
I haven’t found a
definitive answer yet. There are two possibilities. First, and most probable,
if it is spelled hail-fellow, it is probably a shortened version of
hail-fellow-well-met, defined as an affable, outgoing person, someone easy to
be with in a social situation. An example from 1688 reads, "Let not your
Servants be over-familiar or haile fellow with you."
If it’s spelled
hale-fellow, it would refer to a healthy person. Hale is connected to the word
heal. Hale is an interesting word with several layers of meaning.
- health, well-being
- a nook; a secret place
- a structure with a roof but with open sides
- a haul of fish
- the two handles of a plough or wheel
- a halo
Available from McFarland & Co.: Word Parts
Dictionary, 2nd edition
Now available as an ebook
Now available as an ebook
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