Housel Definition

Origin of Housel

• From Middle English houselen, from Old English hūslian (“to administer the sacrament”), from Proto-Germanic *hunslōną (“to sacrifice, offer”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwen- (“holy”). Cognate with Icelandic húsla (“to housel”), Old Swedish húsla (“to administer the Eucharist to”), Gothic [script?] (hunsljan, “to offer, sacrifice”).

  From Wiktionary

• From Middle English housel, from Old English hūsl (“housel, Eucharist, the Host, a sacrifice”), from Proto-Germanic *hunslą (“sacrifice”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwen- (“holy”). Cognate with Icelandic húsl (“housel”), Gothic [script?] (hunsl, “sacrifice, offering”), Proto-Slavic *svętъ (“holy, sacred”) (OED).

  From Wiktionary

• The OED cites usage of the noun from the 10th to the 17th century. 19th century use is deliberately archaizing. The verb is attested from the 11th century, and in occasional usage persists into the 19th.

  From Wiktionary

• Middle English from Old English hūsel sacrifice, Eucharist kwen- in Indo-European roots

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition