Wes þu, hal, freond!
That’s ‘Hello, friend’ in Old English. Anglo-Saxon. The language that English began as when it branched away from Proto-Germanic near to 2,000 years ago. It is the foundation upon which our modern language is based, without all the Norman French and Latin mixed in. That comes centuries later.
Many of the words from Old English survived through to the modern day, most of them changed in some ways. Some of the words survived in their original form, and even perhaps close to their original pronunciation.
Health is one such word. Wealth is another.
Before getting to that story, a few interesting things about the Anglo-Saxon people:
- Like nearly all human societies, the Anglo-Saxons had storytellers, known as scops (sounds like shopes), their version of bards
- There was something of a belief that, according to Hana Videen, ‘each Word carries a
story, an entire history of thought’. - The word ‘Word’ could have multiple meanings, including “Story’, ‘Word’, or ‘Speech’.
We still use those meanings today in different contexts.
With that in mind, there is the word ‘Health’. The suffix on the end of the word, -th (which is this symbol in Old English Þ), means ‘state of’ or ‘condition of’. The first part, heal, means wholeness. Therefore, Health means ‘state of wholeness’ in this old sense. The modern definition is fairly complete, but is not quite the same meaning: ‘a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’ (W.H.O. definition). For one, it uses state of well-being which is actually the Old English definition of Wealth.
The old definition in Merriam Webster used to be: Health – a state of wholeness in which all the organs of the body function together at 100%, 100% of the time.
There is no mention of sickness or disease for this definition, and it contains, at the beginning, the original ancient meaning of the word. Second, it defines health as 100% parts, with 100% function. Health is often compared as not being symptomatic, or not feeling sick. Really, it is a state where there are cycles of Ease and Dis-Ease. And Health is present when there are symptoms of feedback and when there are not.
The limit here is keeping it purely in the body. Purely physical. In the original meaning, Health simply is a state of wholeness.
With the Merriam Webster can be added parts and function at 100%, each. With the W.H.O., different aspects of life than simply the physical. This is the story of health and how it has grown. This is the history of thought behind the word.
Health, that is, Wholeness, then is in all aspects of life. In Old English, it was a deeper word. In modern English, it has depth, but requires more explanation to encompass all it really affects.
Health is whole being physically, with the all the organs (Parts) present and with 100% function keeping them in co-ordination. In chiropractic, it is recognized as the parts of the body being kept in coordinated harmony to adapt to the environment and controlled by signals sent from and received by the brain, adjusted in the spine as necessary to keep the communication and connection free.
Health is present spiritually – to have a healthy spiritual pursuit. Whether in an organized faith, or a private path, there are parts that function a certain way for each individual and group in coordinated harmony.
Health is present in mental learning and understanding – parts of learning, the books, knowledge, pursuits, with certain organizational systems for each individual to utilize however needed.
Business wants a healthy bottom line. Corporation comes from the Latin meaning ‘being in a state of a body’. Corporations and small businesses to solopreneurs have parts in the business, with function. Employees look for healthy work environments in healthy companies with healthy pay.
Healthy financial situations. Parts are accounts. Function is how they behave to achieve financial objectives.
Healthy social life – clubs, teams, organizations. Leadership roles.
And also Healthy relationships. Each relationship in life has parts – individuals – involved, with certain function. Whether it be parent-child, spousal, friends, or siblings. Even pets.
Each of these aspects of Health involves Wholeness. Each aspect involves communication and connection for the function between the parts. Putting all seven of these parts of life together in coordinated harmony, with cycles of Ease and Dis-Ease, is the story of Health, Wholeness.
From its ancient roots to today, the word Health continues to evolve and influence the lives of the English-speaking world in all its various forms.
Sien gesunde.
Dr. Kyle Hulsebus is the Storyteller of Health and Human Potential.
He is an international speaker, writer, educator, and active 3rd generation chiropractor in his family’s practice in Northern Illinois. He is a specialist in the realm of Health and Well-Being, both physically working with the human body and spine, and spiritually and mentally through speaking, educating, and consulting.
He speaks to corporations, groups, and schools on topics of Health and Human Potential. Dr. Kyle takes his background in studying multiple disciplines – including dance, theatre, healthcare, writing, sciences, philosophy, and spiritual traditions – to relate concepts in multiple ways for individuals from all walks of life. He does workshops in tandem with his wife, Dr. Shanti Hulsebus, who is also a chiropractor and master of healing arts.
He is dedicated to educating and empowering others in their health and potential in all areas of life through his stories, articles, and talks in order to shift the paradigm of health from without to within.
His latest project is The 40 Over 40 – a collection of video tips for empowering health in all areas of life after 40 years of age.
He can be found at drkylehulsebus.com and 40over40.com. His chiropractic office can be found at mphulsebus.com.