heill
The English word hello is translated into Old Norse as heill.
heill is used as an interjection to provide a greeting.
Meaning: greeting (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word heill literally means healthy, whole or lucky.
Which one should you use?
The form heill is used when addressing a man, whereas the form heil is used when addressing a woman.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form heill is the masculine singular nominative form. When greeting a woman, the form changes to the feminine singular form heil.
Did you know?
- In Old Norse culture, the greeting heill could be used to wish a warrior success and safety in battle, not just as a casual 'hello'.
- The same word survives in modern Icelandic, where sæll og blessaður and komdu sæll are still everyday greetings built on the same idea of wishing someone well.
- The word shares an ancestral link with the English word 'holy', as both trace back to concepts of being 'whole' or 'untouched'.
Examples in context
- Heill þú, maðr!Hello, man!
- Heill ok sæll!Hello and be healthy!
Example conversation
Astrid and Bjorn meet on a path.
- AstridHeill, Bjorn!Hello, Bjorn!
- BjornHeill, Astrid!Hello, Astrid!
- AstridHversu gengr?How is it going?
- BjornAllt er vel.All is well.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry heill, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries heill, CC BY-SA 4.0.
