student asking question

Just curious... does the word "hail" is somewhat related to the German word "heil"? It seems the pronunciation and definition seem quite similar.

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Yes, that's correct! "Heil" is used in Germany to salute someone. English is a Germanic language, so you may occasionally see or hear words that are similar in spelling, meaning, and pronunciation. Ex: The soldiers hailed the king. Ex: The general raised his arm in salute, shouting "all hail the King!"

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