Qadosh
/kɑːˈdoʊʃ/noun
A Hebrew adjective meaning holy, sacred, or set apart for divine purposes.
Did you know?In Isaiah’s vision, the word is repeated three times—“holy, holy, holy”—a Hebrew intensification traditionally understood as expressing absolute holiness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*q-d-š
“A root associated with holiness, sacredness, or setting apart”
2nd Millennium BCE
Akkadian
qadāšu
“To make holy, sanctify, or consecrate”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
קָדוֹשׁ (qādōš)
“Holy, sacred, or set apart”
3rd–2nd Century BCE
Aramaic
קַדִּישׁ (qaddiš)
“Holy or sanctified; the source of the Jewish prayer-name Kaddish”
Late Antiquity
Hebrew
קִדּוּשׁ (qiddūš)
“Sanctification, especially the ritual blessing over wine”
Modern English
English
qadosh
“A transliteration used in English for the Hebrew word meaning holy or sacred”