To adjure or command solemnly, especially by invoking God or something sacred.
From Old English 'hals' meaning to greet or salute, from Proto-Germanic *hailaz. The meaning shifted to emphasize earnest command or appeal, influenced by Middle English legal and religious usage.
This word is practically extinct in modern English, but it echoes the power of oaths—when you truly 'halse' someone, you're calling on forces bigger than yourself. Medieval courts used it in solemn declarations, showing how language itself carried legal weight.
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