healers
|heal-ers|
🇺🇸
/ˈhiːlɚz/
🇬🇧
/ˈhiːləz/
(healer)
one who makes whole
Etymology
'healer' originates from Old English, specifically from the verb 'hǣlan' (also written 'hǣlan' or 'hælan'), where the root 'hǣl' meant 'health' or 'wholeness', combined with the agent suffix '-er' denoting 'one who performs an action'.
'hǣlan' (Old English) developed from Proto-Germanic '*hailjaną' (to make whole). The agent-forming suffix produced Middle English forms such as 'heler' or 'healer', which eventually became the modern English 'healer'.
Initially, the root referred broadly to 'making whole' or restoring health; over time the derived noun 'healer' came to mean specifically 'a person who cures or restores health' in both physical and spiritual senses.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
people who treat physical illness or injury using medical, therapeutic, or clinical methods (doctors, nurses, therapists, etc.).
Rural communities often depended on local healers for primary health care.
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Noun 2
people who use traditional, ritual, spiritual, or folk methods to cure or bring about well-being (shamans, faith healers, traditional healers).
Many cultures still consult healers for spiritual ailments and guidance.
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Idioms
Last updated: 2025/08/28 20:30