Origin and history of heeler

"back of the foot," Old English hela, from Proto-Germanic *hanhilaz- (source also of Old Norse hæll, Old Frisian hel, Dutch hiel), from a diminutive of PIE *kenk- (3) "heel, bend of the knee" (source also of Old English hoh "hock").

Meaning "back of a shoe or boot" is c. 1400. Down at heels (1732) refers to heels of boots or shoes worn down and the owner too poor to replace them. For Achilles' heel "only vulnerable spot" see Achilles. To fight with (one's) heels (fighten with heles) in Middle English meant "to run away."

Middle English ward "keeping, care, safekeeping," also "control, rule, proper preservation," from Old English weard "a guarding, protection; watchman, sentry, keeper," from Proto-Germanic *wardaz "guard" (source also of Old Saxon ward, Old Norse vörðr, Old High German wart), from suffixed form of PIE root *wer- (3) "perceive, watch out for." A doublet of guard (n.); for the consonant see gu-. Paired with watch (n.) from late 14c. Related: Wardship.

The meaning "minor under control of a guardian" is from early 15c. In reference to administrative districts of a town or city from late 14c., at first with a notion of guardianship, "a division of the people under a particular leader or guardian." Of hospital divisions from 1749.

The political ward-heeler is by 1873, American English, from heeler "loafer, one on the lookout for shady work" (1870s).