Where does “holy” come from?
Holy derives from Middle English holi and holy, from Proto-Germanic hailagaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱel-, with formative suffixes from Proto-Indo-European -kos and Middle French -ie.
holy (English): Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god;...
Definitions
- Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god;...
Ancestry of “holy”, step by step
holy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English holi
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | holi | Alternative form of holy |
| 2 | Old English | hāliġ | holy |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | hailag | holy, sacred |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hailagaz | holy, sacred |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hailaz | whole, unbroken, intact; entire, complete; hale,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | *kéh₂ilos | healthy |
via Middle English hali
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hali | Alternative form of holy |