Heal, Whole and Holy Come From the Same Root
A healer restores health. The Old English root means whole, which is also where holy comes from.
A healer is someone who restores health. The Old English *hælan* means to make whole, and the same root produced *whole*, *health*, *hale* and *holy* — holiness being understood as a kind of wholeness. To heal someone is, in the oldest sense of the word, to make them complete again.
- One who heals. *A traditional healer.*
- Heal — to make well. *The wound healed.*
- Faith healer — one claiming spiritual cures. *A travelling faith healer.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | healer | A gifted healer. |
| Plural | healers | Village healers. |
| Verb | heal | Heal quickly. |
| Noun | healing | The healing process. |
| Related | whole | A whole loaf. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Time is a great healer.Proverbial.
- The fracture healed cleanly.Medicine.
- Hale and hearty.Hale is the same root as whole.
Words from the wholeness root
- Heal — to make whole
- Health — the state of being whole
- Whole — complete
- Hale — healthy, as in hale and hearty
- Holy — set apart and complete
From Old English *hælan*, to make whole, from *hal*, whole — the ancestor of *whole*, *hale* and *hail* as a greeting.
Are heal and holy related?
Yes. Both descend from a root meaning whole or complete, which linked physical soundness to sacredness.
Why does whole have a W?
It was added in the fifteenth century, probably to reflect a change in pronunciation. Heal and hale kept the older form.