Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “unholy” come from?

Unholy derives from Middle English unholi, from Old English unhāliġ, from Proto-Germanic unhailagaz, meaning not sacred or profane.

unholy (English): Not holy; evil, impure, or otherwise perverted;...

Definitions

  1. Not holy; evil, impure, or otherwise perverted;...

Ancestry of “unholy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishunholi—
2Old Englishunhāliġ—
3Proto-Germanicunhailagaz—

Words derived from “unholy”

  • unholiness
  • unholily
Every word from Proto-Germanic unhailagaz →