Holiness
/ˈhoʊli.nəs/noun
The state or quality of being holy; sacredness or sanctity.
Did you know?The word comes from the same ancient root as whole and heal, because in early Germanic thought what was sacred was what was intact, complete, and set apart.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kailo-
“whole, uninjured, healthy”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hailaz
“whole, sound, healthy”
Old English
English
hālig
“holy, sacred”
Old English
English
hālignes
“holiness, sanctity”
Middle English
English
holinesse
“holiness, saintliness”
Modern English
English
holiness
“the quality of being holy or sacred”