The word wassail comes from the Old English wes hal, literally be in good health. As an ordinary salutation (hail), the phrase occurs both in Old English and Old Norse. But in neither of these, not indeed in any Teutonic language, has any trace been found of the use as drinking formulas, of the phrases represented by wassail and drinkhail. It seems probably that this use arose among the Danish-speaking inhabitants of England, and became more or less common among the native population; in the 12th century it was regarded by the Normans as markedly characteristic of Englishmen. In the Speculum Stultorum of Nigellus Wireker (circa 1190) the English students at the university of Paris are praised for generosity and other virtues, but are said to be too much addicted to wessail and dringail. (OED, 2nd ed.)