Heliolatry
/ˌhiːliˈɒlətri/noun
The worship or religious veneration of the sun.
Did you know?The second half, Greek latreia, meant devoted service or worship, a term later used in Christian theology for worship owed exclusively to God.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*seh₂u̯el-
“The sun; the ancient root behind several words for the sun”
Ancient Greek
Greek
hēlios
“The sun, also personified as the solar deity Helios”
Ancient Greek
Greek
latreia
“Service, devoted worship, or religious veneration”
19th Century
English
heliolatry
“A scholarly compound meaning worship of the sun”
Modern English
English
heliolatry
“Religious or ritual veneration of the sun”