Etymograph

English

housel

Housel comes from Middle English housel ‘The Eucharist’, from Proto-Germanic *hunslą ‘sacrifice’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwen- ‘holy’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱwen-‘holy’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hunslą‘sacrifice’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hunslreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150hūsl‘housel, Eucharist, the Host, a sacrifice’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500housel‘The Eucharist’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1720same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱwen-‘holy’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hunslą‘sacrifice’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hunslreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150hūsl‘housel, Eucharist, the Host, a sacrifice’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500housel‘The Eucharist’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1720same form

Earliest quotation: 1720, Elfric [i.e., A.D. DCCCCLVII. Elfric’s Canons.: “The Holy Houſel ought to be kept vvith great…”

The story

The OED cites usage of the noun from the 10th to the 17th century. 19th century use is deliberately archaizing.

Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwen-

Today it means

noun The Eucharist.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱwen- / housel

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