Where does “halo” come from?

halo (Serbo-Croatian) comes from English hallo, from Middle English halou, from Old English hēla, from Proto-West Germanic *hą̄hilō — heel.

halo (Serbo-Croatian): halo; hello

Definitions

  1. halo; hello

Ancestry of “halo”, step by step

halo traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English hallo

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhalloAlternative form of hello; A cry of surprise; The...
2Middle Englishhalou
3Old Englishhēlaheel
4Proto-West Germanic*hą̄hilōheel

via Latin halōs

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinhalōshalo (a circle around the sun or moon)
2Ancient Greekἅλωςthreshing floor; grain on the floor; disk
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *hą̄hilōEvery word from Old English hēlaEvery word from Middle English halou