housel

See also: Housel

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhaʊzəl/
• Rhymes: -aʊzəl

Etymology 1

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

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.

Noun

housel

1. (archaic) the Eucharist
   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses

     She said that he had a fair sweet death through God His goodness with mass-priest to be shriven, holy housel and sick men’s oil to his limbs.

Etymology 2

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

Verb

housel (third-person singular simple present housels, present participle houseling or houselling, simple past and past participle houseled or houselled)

1. (transitive, archaic) To administer the Eucharist to.
2. (transitive, rare) To prepare for a journey.
   • 1750, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, Mr. Theobald (Lewis), The Works of Francis Beaumont, and Mr. John Fletcher:

     So housel all our hackneys that they may feel Compunction in their feet, and tire at Highgate.

Anagrams

• Houles

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Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English hūsl, hūsel, hūsul, from Proto-Germanic *hunslą.

Alternative forms

• housil, housyl, housyll, housul, husel, husell, husul, hosel, hosil, hosill, hosol, howsel, howsell, howsill, hoosyl

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhuːzəl/

Noun

housel (uncountable)

1. The bread and wine utilised at Holy Communion.
2. (rare) The partaking in or consumption of said bread and wine.
3. (rare) The ritual or ceremony of Holy Communion.
4. (rare) Participation or presence at Holy Communion.

Related terms

• houselen
• houselynge

Descendants

• English: housel (archaic)
• Scots: hoozle, ouzle (obsolete)

References

• “hǒusel, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-03-23.

Etymology 2

From Old English hūslian.

Verb

housel

1. Alternative form of houselen

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Old French

Alternative forms

• huesel

Etymology

huese +‎ -el.

Noun

housel oblique singular, m (oblique plural houseaus or houseax or housiaus or housiax or housels, nominative singular houseaus or houseax or housiaus or housiax or housels, nominative plural housel)

1. small boot

Descendants

• Middle French: houseau, houseaul, housel
  • French: houseau
    • → English: huseau