Hale

biographical name

Nathan 1755–1776 American Revolutionary hero

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What's the Difference Between hale,healthy, sound, and robust?

English has two words hale: the adjective that is frequently paired with hearty to describe those healthy and strong, and the somewhat uncommon verb that has to do with literal or figurative hauling or pulling. (One can hale a boat onto shore, or hale a person into a courtroom with the aid of legal ramifications for resistance.) The verb comes from Middle English halen, also root of our word haul, but the adjective has a bifurcated origin, with two Middle English terms identified as sources, hale and hail. Both of those come from words meaning "healthy," the former from Old English hāl, and the latter from Old Norse heill. Middle English hail is also the source of the three modern English words hail (the verb, interjection, and noun) that have to do with greeting.

Kids Definition

hale

1 of 2 adjective

ˈhā(ə)l 

: sound entry 1 sense 1a, healthy

grandmother was still hale and hearty at eighty

hale

2 of 2 verb

haled; haling

1

: haul entry 1 sense 1, pull

2

: to force to go

haled them into court

Etymology

partly from Middle English hale "healthy, unhurt," from Old English hāl (same meaning) and partly from Middle English hail (an interjection of approval or greeting), derived from early Norse heill "healthy" — related to hail entry 3, health, wassail, whole

Middle English halen "to pull," from early French haler (same meaning); of Germanic origin — related to haul