heals
The Old English word for neck is heals.
heals refers to the part of the body that connects the head to the trunk.
Meaning: part of body connecting the head and the trunk (noun)
Which one should you use?
The word for neck in Old English is hnecca.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the West Saxon dialect, the term hals was often utilized to denote the neck.
How does it change in a sentence?
heals is the masculine singular nominative/accusative form of the noun.
Did you know?
- The Old English word heals is a distant cousin to the Latin word collum, which is the ancestor of the English word 'collar'.
- In Old English, heals was used not just for the neck but also to describe the 'neck' or narrow part of a bottle or vase.
- While heals survived in other Germanic languages like German as Hals, it was eventually replaced in English by neck.
Examples in context
- Hē cysseþ mīnne heals.He kissed my neck.This sentence shows how to use heals to describe an action involving the neck.Tatoeba #8918105 by iiujik, translation #2260273 by Hybrid
- Mīn healse ace.My neck hurts.This sentence demonstrates how to use heals when expressing physical pain.Tatoeba #8918100 by iiujik, translation #2471465 by Hybrid
Example conversation
Wulfrun notices Æthelstan has a scarf around his neck.
- WulfrunHwȳ hæfst þū þone heals bewunden?Why have you wrapped your neck?
- ÆthelstanMīn heals is ċeald.My neck is cold.
- WulfrunÞæt is gōd for þone winter.That is good for the winter.
- ÆthelstanĠēa, hit is wearm.Yes, it is warm.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries heals, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
