Heathendom
/ˈhiː.ðən.dəm/noun
The condition or collective body of heathens; non-Christian peoples or lands, especially in older religious usage.
Did you know?The word is a blunt Christian-era label, and its power came from naming entire peoples as spiritually “other,” which made language itself a tool of religious boundary-making.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
hǣþen
“A heathen; a person outside Christianity”
Old English
OE
hǣþendōm
“The state or condition of being heathen; heathenism”
Middle English
ME
hethen
“A heathen; non-Christian”
Middle English
ME
hethendom
“Heathen people or lands; heathenism”
Modern English
English
heathendom
“The collective body or condition of heathens”