The meanings attributed to the word
hall have varied over the centuries, as social practices have changed. The word derives from the
Old Teutonic (
hallâ), where it is associated with the idea of covering or concealing. In modern
German it is
Halle where it refers to a building but
Saal where it refers to a large public room though the distinction is blurred:(). The latter may arise from a
genitive form of the former. The
French salle is borrowed from the German.