*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of halse

From Middle English hals, from Old English heals (“neck, prow of a ship”), from Proto-West Germanic *hals, from Proto-Germanic *halsaz (“neck”), from Proto-Indo-European *kols-, *ḱols- (“neck”). Cognate with Dutch hals (

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 4 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

The neck; the throat.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English hals, from Old English heals (“neck, prow of a ship”), from Proto-West Germanic *hals, from Proto-Germanic *halsaz (“neck”), from Proto-Indo-European *kols-, *ḱols- (“neck”). Cognate with Dutch hals (“neck, throat”), German Hals (“neck, throat”), Norwegian hals (“neck, throat”), Swedish hals (“neck, throat”), Latin collum (“neck”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionhalsenm
  • Inherited-form mentionhealsang
  • Inherited-form mention*halsgmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*halsazgem-pro
  • Derivation mention*kols-ine-pro
  • Cognate mentionhalsnl
  • Cognate mentionHalsde
  • Cognate mentionhalsno
  • Cognate mentionhalssv
  • Cognate mentioncollumla
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "hals"
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        "2": "ang",
        "3": "heals",
        "4": "",
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      "expansion": "Old English heals (“neck, prow of a ship”)"
    },
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    },
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        "3": "*kols-"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *kols-"
    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
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        "2": "hals",
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      },
      "expansion": "Dutch hals (“neck, throat”)"
    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Hals",
        "3": "",
        "4": "neck, throat"
      },
      "expansion": "German Hals (“neck, throat”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "no",
        "2": "hals",
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        "4": "neck, throat"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian hals (“neck, throat”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "hals",
        "3": "",
        "4": "neck, throat"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "collum",
        "3": "",
        "4": "neck"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin collum (“neck”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "hals",
      "hals#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "heals",
      "heals#Old_English"
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/hals"
    ],
    [
      "*halsaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/halsaz"
    ],
    [
      "*kols-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/kols-"
    ],
    [
      "*ḱols-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ḱols-"
    ],
    [
      "hals",
      "hals#Dutch"
    ],
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      "Hals",
      "Hals#German"
    ],
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      "hals",
      "hals#Norwegian"
    ],
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      "hals",
      "hals#Swedish"
    ],
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      "collum",
      "collum#Latin"
    ]
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To fall upon the neck of; hug; embrace.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English halsen, halchen, from Old English *halsian, *healsian (“to embrace”, literally “to fall upon the neck of”), from heals (“neck”). See above. Cognate with Old Saxon helsjen (“to embrace”), Old High German halsōn (German halsen (“to jibe”)), Icelandic hálsa (“to embrace”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    },
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      "name": "cog",
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    },
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    },
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    }
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    ],
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      "heals#Old_English"
    ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
verb

To greet; salute; hail. · To beseech; adjure.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English halsen, halsien (“to beseech, adjure”), from Old English healsian, hālsian (“to entreat earnestly, beseech, implore”), from Proto-Germanic *hailisōną (“to greet”), from Proto-Indo-European *kailo-, *kailu- (“whole, safe”). Cognate with Middle High German heilsen (“to predict”), Swedish hälsa (“to greet”), Icelandic heilsa (“to salute”). More at whole.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    },
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        "2": "hälsa",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to greet"
      },
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    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "heilsa",
        "3": "",
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      },
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    }
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    ],
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    ],
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hailisōną"
    ],
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/kailo-"
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/kailu-"
    ],
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      "hälsa",
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
verb

To haul; to hoist.

noun

Alternative form of hawse.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English hals (“neck”), from Old Norse háls (“neck, part of the forecastle or bow of a ship”), from Proto-Germanic *halsaz (“neck”). See Etymology 1. Cognate with Danish hals (“neck, tack”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionhalsenm
  • Derivation mentionhálsnon
  • Derivation mention*halsazgem-pro
  • Cognate mentionhalsda
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    },
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    },
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  ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for halse →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
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Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-aGFsc2U