Alleluia
/ˌæl.əˈluː.jə/noun
A liturgical exclamation meaning “praise the Lord,” used especially in Christian worship.
Did you know?“Alleluia” entered Christian worship through Greek and Latin from Hebrew hallelu-Yah, so every time it’s sung, an ancient praise formula tied to the name of God is being repeated.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Hebrew
Heb
hallelû-yāh
“Praise Yah (an exhortation to praise God)”
Septuagint / Early Christian Greek
Gk
allelouia
“Transliterated liturgical shout of praise”
Late Latin
Lat
alleluia
“Christian hymn-word of praise”
Old English
Eng
alleluia
“A liturgical exclamation of praise”
Modern English
Eng
alleluia
“A religious shout or song of praise”