Halleluiah
/ˌhælɪˈluːjə/noun
An expression of praise or worship, especially in Jewish and Christian liturgy.
Did you know?Halleluiah is a variant spelling of Hallelujah, whose second element, “Yah,” is a shortened form of the Hebrew divine name associated with Yahweh.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
הַלְלוּ יָהּ (halĕlū yāh)
“Praise Yah; a plural imperative calling a group to praise”
Ancient Hebrew Psalms
Hebrew
halĕlū-yāh
“A liturgical acclamation used especially as a refrain in psalms”
3rd Century BCE–1st Century CE
Greek
Ἀλληλούϊα (allēlouïa)
“A transliteration of the Hebrew praise formula”
4th Century CE
Late Latin
alleluia
“A Christian liturgical cry of praise borrowed from Greek”
Old English
English
alleluia
“A liturgical expression of praise adopted through Christian Latin”
Modern English
English
halleluiah
“A variant spelling of hallelujah, used as an exclamation or religious expression of praise”