Etymology: Common Germanic: Old English hagol (-al, -el), and hægl (hægel) < West Germanic *hagal, *hagl: compare Old Frisian heyl ( < hegl), Middle Dutch haghel, Dutch hagel, Old High German hagal, Middle High German and German hagel, all masculine, Old Norse hagl neuter (Swedish, Danish hagel) < Old Germanic *hag(a)lo-; perhaps cognate with Greek καχλ- in κάχληξ pebble; compare the notion in hailstone. The two Old English types hagol and hægl, gave the respective Middle English types hawel, hawl, and hæil, hayl, hail, of which the former was southern and came down to the 15th cent. Beside these a third type haggle directly < Norse, survives in Yorkshire dialect.

Etymology: < early Scandinavian (compare Old Icelandic heill omen, good luck, happiness, Old Swedish hel , hæl , hæll (Swedish hel ), Old Danish heyl , hæl , held , hældh (Danish held )), cognate with Old English hǣl heal n. Compare hale n.²In northern varieties of Middle English, the usual equivalent of the native noun heal n. The form hale (in ill hail at sense A. 2, ill hail at sense B.) shows a reverse spelling for ai in northern Middle English.

Etymology: A later substantive use of hail int., and noun of action < hail v.²

Etymology: < hail v.³

Etymology: < early Scandinavian (compare Old Icelandic heill healthy, sound, complete, entire: see whole adj.). Compare hale adj. and see discussion at that entry. Compare also whole adj., heal adj., hail int., and hail n.²With sense 1b compare whole adj. 3b.

Etymology: Old English hagalian < Old Germanic *hag(a)- lôjan : in Old Norse hagla , Middle High German haglen , hagelen , German hageln , Dutch hagelen , from the noun. The northern dialect haggle is from Old Norse. See hail n.¹

Etymology: An early derivative of hail n.², hail int. which has superseded hailse v.

Etymology: apparently a special use of hail v.², originating with the phrase to hail the dool, i.e. to greet or salute the goal with the exclamation hail! when striking it with the ball.

Etymology: An elliptical or interjectional use of hail adj., the imperative be , or some equivalent, as in hail adj. 1b, having been originally present: compare Old Norse heill, and Old English hál similarly used.