holy

Alternative forms

• holie, hooly (archaic)
• Holy (when referring to someone or something important)
• 'oly (pronunciation spelling)

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English holi, hali, from Old English hāliġ, hāleġ (“holy, consecrated, sacred, venerated, godly, saintly, ecclesiastical, pacific, tame”), from Proto-West Germanic *hailag, from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz (“holy, bringing health”), from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (“healthy, whole”), from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos (“healthy, whole”), equivalent to whole +‎ -y and a doublet of later wholly.

Cognate with Scots haly (“holy”), West Frisian hillich (“holy”), Low German hillig (“holy”), Dutch heilig (“holy”), German heilig (“holy”), Danish hellig (“holy”), Swedish helig (“holy”). More at whole.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈhəʊli/
• (US) enPR: hōʹlē, IPA^(key): /ˈhoʊli/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊli
• Homophones: wholly, holey (in accents without the wholly-holy split)

Adjective

holy (comparative holier, superlative holiest)

1. Dedicated to a religious purpose or a god.

   I'm planning to visit the holy city of Jerusalem this Christmas.

2. Revered in a religion.

   This tree is considered holy in my culture.

3. Morally perfect or flawless, or nearly so.

   My grandmother is a very holy woman.

4. Separated or set apart from (something unto something or someone else). (Can we add an example for this sense?)
5. Set apart or dedicated for a specific purpose, or for use by a single entity or person.
6. (slang) Used as an intensifier in various interjections.

   Holy cow, I can’t believe he actually lost the race!

   Those children next door are holy terrors!

Interjection

holy

1. (slang) An expression of astonishment and awe.

   Synonym: holy shit

Noun

holy (plural holies)

1. (archaic) A thing that is extremely holy; used almost exclusively in Holy of Holies.
   • 1882, Franz von Reber, Joseph Thacher Clarke, History of Ancient Art, page 146:

     The holy of holies, a cubical space of ten cubits on the side, was separated from the larger antechamber by four columns, which were also covered with gold and stood upon silver sockets; they bore a second curtain of four colors.

Anagrams

• hylo-

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old English hāliġ, from Proto-West Germanic *hailag, from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz; equivalent to hool +‎ -y.

Etymology 2

From hol +‎ -y.

Adjective

holy

1. Alternative form of holly
   • 1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 6, page 96:

     To our pleoughès an mulk-pylès till a neeshte holy die.

     To our ploughs and our milk-pails till the next holiday.

References

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 96