Heal (pronounced heel)
(1) To make healthy, whole, or sound; restore to
health; free from ailment.
(2) To bring to an end or conclusion, as
conflicts between people or groups, usually with the strong implication of
restoring former amity; settle; reconcile.
(3) To free from evil; cleanse; purify:
Pre 900: From the Middle English helen, from the Old English hǣlan (cure;
save; make whole, sound and well); cognate with the Dutch helen, the Saterland Frisian heila,
heilen & hela, the Danish hele,
the Swedish hela, the Old High German
heilen, the Old Norse heila, the Scots hale & hail and the Gothic hailjan, all derivative of hāl
& hale (whole). Root was the Proto-Germanic hailijaną (to heal, make whole,
save) from which Old Saxon picked up helian
and Gothic gained ga-hailjan (to
heal, cure), the literal translation of which was "to make whole",
all of these derived from the primitive Indo-European koyl (safe; unharmed). The
Modern English health was a later
derivation.
Heel
(pronounced heel)
(1) The back part of the human foot, below and
behind the ankle.
(2) An analogous part in other vertebrates.
(3) In zoology, either hind foot or hoof of some
animals, as the horse.
(4) The part of a stocking, shoe, or the like
covering the back part of the wearer's foot.
(5) A solid, raised base or support of leather,
wood, rubber, etc, attached to the sole of a shoe or boot under the back part
of the foot.
(6) By analogy, things resembling the back part
of the human foot in position, shape etc, such as the heel of a loaf of bread.
(7) The rear of the palm of the hand, adjacent to
the wrist.
(8) The latter or concluding part of anything
(now rare).
(9) In architecture, the lower end of any of
various more or less vertical objects, as rafters, spars, sternposts of vessels
or the exterior angle of an angle iron.
(10) In naval architecture, the after end of a
keel or the inner end of a bowsprit or jib boom.
(11) The crook in the head of a golf club.
(12) In railroad construction, the end of a frog
farthest from a switch.
(13) In horticulture, the base of any part, as of
a cutting or tuber, that is removed from a plant for use in the propagation of
that plant.
(14) A vile, contemptibly dishonorable or
irresponsible person.
(15) In cock-fighting, to arm (a gamecock) with
spurs.
(16) In admiralty jargon, the inclined position
from the vertical when a vessel is at ten (or more) degrees of list.
Pre 850: From the Middle English helden, a variant of the earlier heeld and derived from the Old English hēla, heald & hieldan (to lean or
slope). It was cognate with the Dutch hiel, the Old Frisian hêl, the Old Norse hallr and the Old High German helden
(to bow). In the sense of “back of the
foot”, root is the Old English hela,
from the Proto-Germanic hanhilon
which was cognate with the Old Norse hæll,
the Old Frisian hel and the Dutch hiel), all derived from the primitive
Indo-European kenk (heel, bend of the
knee). The meaning "back of a shoe
or boot" is circa 1400 and features in a number or English phrases: Down
at heel (1732) refers to heels of boots or shoes worn down when the owner was
too poor to have them repaired; the Achilles'
heel refers to only vulnerable spot in the figure from Greek mythology; in
Middle English, fighten with heles (to
fight with (one's) heels) meant "to run away." The nautical, Admiralty and architectural
forms are all derived (however remotely) from the earlier meanings related to
slopes and angles.
Heels in the military
The decision of the Ukraine's Ministry of Defense to train female soldiers to march in high heels attracted interest, much of it from Ukrainian politicians, little of it supportive, except for the women involved. Despite that, when in late June 2021 photographs emerged of women soldiers training in heels for a march scheduled for 24 August to mark the thirtieth anniversary of independence from the Soviet Union, an army spokesman reported the drilling to master the steps was "progressing well" although one soldier in an interview confirmed it was "...a little harder than in boots". Social media soon went into action, one on-line petition demanding Ukraine's (male) defense minister don the not infrequently uncomfortable shoes to try marching in them and most critics, including female Ukrainian legislators, accused the military of sexism and having a “medieval” mind-set. The virtual protest was the next day brought into parliament when female lawmakers arranged a line of high-heeled shoes before the defense minister and suggested he wear them to the anniversary parade, a joint statement from three cabinet ministers adding that the "...purpose of any military parade is to demonstrate the military ability of the army. There should be no room for stereotypes and sexism”.
The Defense Ministry initially declined to comment but did
later issue as statement pointing out heels had been part of dress uniform
regulations since 2017 and included pictures of female soldiers in the US
military wearing heels during formal events and although they didn't mention it, Ukrainian
soldiers regardless of gender all wear boots when deployed for combat or active
training. The great heel furor however
didn't subside and the defense minister, after consultation with female
military cadets, issued a joint statement with the military high command
acknowledging the heels were inconvenient.
Later addressing a gathering of cadets, the minister pledged to look
into the matter of “improved, ergonomic”
footwear “in the shortest possible time”,
although it wasn't made clear if the new shoes would be available for the
August parade. In another supportive
gesture he also confirmed senior defense officials "would look into" improving the quality of women's underwear,
this presumably in response to concerns raised by the cadets although the
minister didn't go into detail of this, saying only that if the trial of the cadet's “experimental” footwear went well, they
could be issued to all female members in the military.
In recent years, women have played increasingly prominent roles in the Ukrainian military, especially in the ongoing conflict with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv allowing women to serve in combat units after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Women now make up more than 15 percent of the country’s armed forces, a rate which has more than doubled since the conflict erupted and more than 13,000 women have been granted combatant status. Some 57,000 women serve in the Ukrainian military and NATO standards are in the process of being introduced, membership of the alliance being described still as a "long term" goal. Given Ukraine's long and troubled relationship with both Russia and the Soviet Union, the lure of NATO is understandable but the Kremlin is opposed and there's now little enthusiasm in Western capitals. The view from NATO HQ has for some time been that the relationship with Moscow will be easier to manage if a border which the Kremlin regards as hostile is not extended.
Pre-dating even the apparently abortive sartorial innovations of the Ukrainian Army, military camouflage has long attracted designers who like the juxtaposition of fashion and function. The fetching stiletto (top) with the rakishly slanted heel is a Prada Camo Green Pump (part number 17008094NH; US$600).
Lindsay Lohan in Christian Louboutin Madame Butterfly black bow platform bootie with six-inch (150 mm) heel.
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