Weal
WEAL, noun [G., Latin , to be strong, to avail, to prevail. The primary sense of weal is strength, soundness, from the sense of straining, stretching or advancing.]
1. A sound state of a person or thing; a state which is prosperous, or at least not unfortunate, not declining; prosperity; happiness.
As we love the weal of our souls and bodies.
The weal or wo in thee is placd.
So we say, the public weal the general weal the weal of the nation or state.
2. Republic; state; public interest. [But we now use commonwealth, in the sense of state.]
WEAL, noun The mark of a stripe. [See Wale.] Weald, wald, walt, wold, in Saxon and other Teutonic dialects, signifies a wood or forest. It is found in names, as in Walt-ham, wood-house; corruptly pronounced Waltham.