halwe

Middle English

Alternative forms

• halewe, halow, halowe, haluwe, halu, halghe, haligh, halogh, halege, halȝe, halȝæ, halȝen, halhe

Etymology

From Old English hālga (“holy man, saint”).

Noun

halwe (plural halwes)

1. saint
2. The shrine of a saint.
   • Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, General Prologue, 13:14

     And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes / To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes.

     And palmers to go seeking out strange strands, / To distant shrines well known in distant lands.

Descendants

• English: hallow
• Scots: hallae

References

• “halwe, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.