An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Heil

by Friedrich Kluge

Heil, n., ‘health, welfare, salvation,’ from MidHG. and OHG. heil, n., ‘health, happiness, salvation’; comp. AS. hœ̂l, n. (for hâli, from hailiz), ‘health, happiness, favourable omen’; OIc. heill, n. (f.) (from hailiz), ‘favourable omen, happiness.’ Not the neut. of the following adj., but properly an older as stem, pre-Teut. káilos (declined like Gr. γένος, Lat. genus, n.). Comp. also the next word.