sawol

Old English

Alternative forms

• sāwel, sāwal, sāul, sōwhul
• sāƿol — wynn spelling

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *saiwalō. Cognate with Old Frisian sēla (West Frisian siel), Old Saxon sēola (Low German Seel), Old Dutch sēla (Dutch ziel), Old High German sēla (German Seele), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌹𐍅𐌰𐌻𐌰 (saiwala). Further etymology uncertain, though the word corresponds formally with Greek αιολος (aiolos, “quick-moving”), Albanian gjallë (“alive”) and Russian си́ла (síla, “strength”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɑː.wol/

Noun

sāwol f

1. soul

Declension

Declension of sawol (strong ō-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	sāwol	sāwla, sāwle
accusative	sāwle	sāwla, sāwle
genitive	sāwle	sāwla
dative	sāwle	sāwlum

Descendants

• Middle English: sawle, sowle
  • English: soul
  • Scots: saul
• → Old Norse: sála, sál
  • Icelandic: sál
  • Faroese: sál
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: sål
  • Old Gutnish: selu