The Old English verb, hǽlan (1. wv/t1b 1 to heal, cure, save; greet, salute; gehǽl! Hosanna!), may be the ultimate origin of the word. Hǽlan is likely a cognate of German Heil (meaning "complete" for things and "healthy" for beings) and other similar words of Germanic origin. Bill Bryson asserts in his book "Mother Tongue" that "hello" comes from Old English "hál béo þu" ("Hale be thou", or "whole be thou", meaning a wish for good health; cf. "goodbye" which is a contraction of "God be with ye").