Holy in Different Languages
Discover 'Holy' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Holy
Afrikaans heilig | ||
Albanian i shenjte | ||
Amharic ቅዱስ | ||
Arabic مقدس | ||
Armenian սուրբ | ||
Assamese পবিত্ৰ | ||
Aymara qullanawa | ||
Azerbaijani müqəddəs | ||
Bambara senuma | ||
Basque santua | ||
Belarusian святы | ||
Bengali পবিত্র | ||
Bhojpuri पवित्र बा | ||
Bosnian sveto | ||
Bulgarian свети | ||
Catalan sant | ||
Cebuano balaan | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 圣 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 聖 | ||
Corsican santu | ||
Croatian sveti | ||
Czech svatý | ||
Danish hellig | ||
Dhivehi މާތްވެގެންވެއެވެ | ||
Dogri पवित्र | ||
Dutch heilig | ||
English holy | ||
Esperanto sankta | ||
Estonian püha | ||
Ewe kɔkɔe | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) banal | ||
Finnish pyhä | ||
French saint | ||
Frisian hillich | ||
Galician santo | ||
Georgian წმინდა | ||
German heilig | ||
Greek άγιος | ||
Guarani imarangatu | ||
Gujarati પવિત્ર | ||
Haitian Creole apa pou bondye | ||
Hausa mai tsarki | ||
Hawaiian hemolele | ||
Hebrew קָדוֹשׁ | ||
Hindi पवित्र | ||
Hmong dawb huv | ||
Hungarian szent | ||
Icelandic heilagur | ||
Igbo dị nsọ | ||
Ilocano nasantoan | ||
Indonesian suci | ||
Irish naofa | ||
Italian santo | ||
Japanese 聖なる | ||
Javanese suci | ||
Kannada ಪವಿತ್ರ | ||
Kazakh қасиетті | ||
Khmer បរិសុទ្ធ | ||
Kinyarwanda cyera | ||
Konkani पवित्र | ||
Korean 거룩한 | ||
Krio oli | ||
Kurdish rûhane | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) پیرۆز | ||
Kyrgyz ыйык | ||
Lao ບໍລິສຸດ | ||
Latin sanctus | ||
Latvian svēts | ||
Lingala mosantu | ||
Lithuanian šventas | ||
Luganda omutukuvu | ||
Luxembourgish helleg | ||
Macedonian свето | ||
Maithili पवित्र | ||
Malagasy masina | ||
Malay suci | ||
Malayalam വിശുദ്ധം | ||
Maltese qaddis | ||
Maori tapu | ||
Marathi पवित्र | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯁꯦꯡꯂꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
Mizo thianghlim | ||
Mongolian ариун | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) သန့်ရှင်း | ||
Nepali पवित्र | ||
Norwegian hellig | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) woyera | ||
Odia (Oriya) ପବିତ୍ର | ||
Oromo qulqulluu | ||
Pashto سپي | ||
Persian مقدس | ||
Polish święty | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) piedosos | ||
Punjabi ਪਵਿੱਤਰ | ||
Quechua ch'uya | ||
Romanian sfânt | ||
Russian святой | ||
Samoan paia | ||
Sanskrit पवित्रम् | ||
Scots Gaelic naomh | ||
Sepedi e kgethwa | ||
Serbian свети | ||
Sesotho halalela | ||
Shona mutsvene | ||
Sindhi پاڪ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) ශුද්ධ | ||
Slovak svätý | ||
Slovenian sveti | ||
Somali quduus ah | ||
Spanish santo | ||
Sundanese suci | ||
Swahili takatifu | ||
Swedish helig | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) banal | ||
Tajik муқаддас | ||
Tamil பரிசுத்த | ||
Tatar изге | ||
Telugu పవిత్ర | ||
Thai ศักดิ์สิทธิ์ | ||
Tigrinya ቅዱስ | ||
Tsonga ku kwetsima | ||
Turkish kutsal | ||
Turkmen mukaddes | ||
Twi (Akan) kronkron | ||
Ukrainian святий | ||
Urdu مقدس | ||
Uyghur مۇقەددەس | ||
Uzbek muqaddas | ||
Vietnamese thánh thiện | ||
Welsh sanctaidd | ||
Xhosa ngcwele | ||
Yiddish הייליק | ||
Yoruba mimọ | ||
Zulu ngcwele |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The word 'heilig' in Afrikaans is derived from the Proto-Germanic word 'hailagaz', meaning 'healthy' or 'whole'. |
| Albanian | 'E shenjte' comes from the Proto-Albanian word '*san-kt' which also meant 'saint'. |
| Amharic | In Amharic, "ቅዱስ" can also mean "angel" or "saint". |
| Arabic | The Arabic word "مقدس" (muqaddas) is etymologically related to the word "قدس" (qudus), meaning "sanctuary" or "holy place", and can refer to a variety of sacred or consecrated objects, places, or persons. |
| Armenian | The word "սուրբ" in Armenian is cognate with the same word in Georgian and is related to Zoroastrianism, where it referred to the "sacred" class or "priesthood" and was also applied to the "heavenly" sphere or "heaven". |
| Azerbaijani | The word "müqəddəs" comes from the Arabic word "muqaddas," meaning "sanctified, consecrated, or devoted to religious use." |
| Basque | In Basque, the word "santua" originally referred to "those who know," and has evolved to mean "holy" in a religious context. |
| Belarusian | Святы in Belarusian is used primarily in religious contexts but can also mean 'clean', 'pure', or 'sacred'. |
| Bengali | The word 'পবিত্র' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'pavitra', meaning 'pure' or 'purified'. |
| Bosnian | The word "sveto" in Bosnian comes from the Proto-Slavic word "svętъ", which also means "light" or "bright". |
| Bulgarian | The word "свети" in Bulgarian derives from the same Proto-Slavic root as the English word "soothsayer". |
| Catalan | Sant derives from the Latin word “sanctus” that means "consecrated" and can also reference someone recognized for exceptional virtues and heroic sanctity in the Catholic Church. |
| Cebuano | In some contexts, balaan can also mean 'forbidden' or 'prohibited'. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 圣 "holy, sage, wise" was borrowed to Japanese and Korean, where its reading became せい/Sei and 성/Seong, respectively. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 聖 in Chinese can also mean a sage, a wise person. |
| Corsican | The Corsican word 'santu' derives from the Latin 'sanctus', meaning 'consecrated', and also denotes 'sacred' or 'venerable'. |
| Croatian | The word 'sveti' can also refer to 'light' or 'world'. |
| Czech | The term "svatý" is an Old Slavonic word meaning "belonging to the divine." |
| Danish | The word "hellig" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "hailag, |
| Dutch | Dutch "heilig" derives from a Proto-West-Germanic root also found in "hagel" and "hele". |
| Esperanto | The word "sankta" comes from the Latin word "sanctus," meaning "sacred" or "holy." |
| Estonian | In some contexts within the Estonian pagan religion, "püha" means spirits instead |
| Finnish | Pyhä also means "clean" and "pure" in Finnish. |
| French | The French word "saint" derives from the Latin "sanctus", meaning "consecrated, holy", and has a similar meaning in both languages. |
| Frisian | Hillich can also mean 'healthy,' 'happy,' or 'whole,' deriving from the Old Frisian word 'heil,' meaning 'health.' |
| Galician | In Galician, «santo» can also mean «a male saint» or, in a metaphorical way, «a person who excels in some positive quality». |
| Georgian | The Georgian word "წმინდა" is of Indo-Iranian origin, potentially related to the Avestan word "spenδa", meaning "holy, pure." |
| German | The German word "heilig" comes from the Old High German word "heilag," meaning "healthy" or "whole," and is related to the English word "hale. |
| Greek | The word "άγιος" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂ég-ios, meaning "belonging to the god" or "sacred." |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word 'પવિત્ર' (pavitra) is ultimately derived from the Latin word 'putere,' meaning 'to remove foul odor;' the related Sanskrit word meant 'to clarify butter' and later gained the meaning 'sanctify' |
| Haitian Creole | Apa pou Bondye is a derivative of the French word 'apapoux' |
| Hausa | The word "mai tsarki" originates from the Arabic "maytruki" meaning "that which is forbidden" or "sacred." |
| Hawaiian | In Hawaiian, the word "hemolele" also means "sacred" or "set apart." |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew word 'קָדוֹשׁ' ('holy') can also refer to 'separate,' 'dedicated,' or 'set apart.' |
| Hindi | The word "पवित्र" traces its roots to the Sanskrit word "पाव", meaning "to purify" or "to cleanse". |
| Hmong | The word "dawb huv" can also mean "clean" or "pure". |
| Hungarian | "Szent" is a loanword from Proto-Slavic, likely coming from the word *święty, originally denoting purity and cleanliness. |
| Icelandic | The word "heilagur" is a compound word, consisting of "heil" (whole or well) and "agur" (awful or dreadful), thus it can also refer to awesome and formidable things, like mountains. |
| Igbo | The word "dị nsọ" can also mean "separated" or "set apart". |
| Indonesian | "Suci" also means "pure" or "clean"in Indonesian, and is a cognate of the Malay word "suci" and the Javanese word "resik" |
| Irish | The word "naofa" in Irish can also refer to saints or holy people. |
| Italian | In Italian, "santo" can also refer to a "saint" or a "person of great piety" |
| Japanese | 聖なる ('holy') can refer to a person who is highly revered or a place that is considered sacred. |
| Javanese | "Suci" in Javanese can also mean "clean" or "pure", suggesting a broader concept of holiness that encompasses both spiritual and physical aspects. |
| Kannada | "ಪವಿತ್ರ" comes from the Sanskrit word "pavitra," which originally meant "cleansed" or "purified." |
| Kazakh | The word "қасиетті" in Kazakh comes from the Arabic word "qaddus", which means "sanctified". It can also refer to something that is pure, sacred, or divine. |
| Khmer | The word “បរិសុទ្ធ” in Khmer is cognate with the word “บริสุทธิ์” in Thai. |
| Korean | "거룩한" is derived from Middle Korean "거룩하-/-하며" and ultimately from Old Korean "거르-/-미" meaning "to purify or abstain from." |
| Kurdish | The word "rûhane" in Kurdish could also mean "spiritual" or "sacred" and is related to the Arabic word "ruh" (meaning "soul"). |
| Kyrgyz | The word "ыйык" (holy) derives from the Persian word "āyā", meaning "sign, wonder". |
| Latin | The root 'sanc-' in 'sanctus' is also present in 'sancire', meaning 'to make sacred'. |
| Latvian | "Svēts" is cognate with other Baltic words for "holy" like Lithuanian "šventas" and Old Prussian "swints", all descending from Proto-Baltic *swentas. |
| Lithuanian | The word "šventas" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*swen-," which means "to shine" or "to be bright." |
| Luxembourgish | In older Luxembourgish, 'helleg' was also used to describe something impressive. |
| Macedonian | The word "свето" in Macedonian also means "bright" or "light". |
| Malagasy | The Malagasy word MASINA can also refer to a sacred talisman or the soul of a deceased ancestor. |
| Malay | The word "suci" can also mean "clean", "pure", or "sacred" in Malay. |
| Malayalam | "വിശുദ്ധം" is derived from Sanskrit "विशुद्धि" meaning "freedom from impurities" and is also used to refer to saints or sacred objects. |
| Maltese | The word "qaddis" in Maltese comes from the Arabic word "qadīs", which means "judge" or "legal expert". |
| Maori | In Maori, 'tapu' can also refer to something forbidden or sacred, and is related to the concept of mana (prestige or influence). |
| Marathi | The word "पवित्र" in Marathi can also mean "pure", "sacred", or "clean", and is derived from the Sanskrit word "pu", meaning "to purify". |
| Mongolian | In Khalkha Mongolian, the word 'ariun' ('sacred') is cognate with the Buryat word 'arihun' ('spirit') and also denotes a Buddhist divinity. |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | The word "သန့်ရှင်း" in Burmese, like its English equivalent "holy," can also refer to something "pure" or "spotless," as in the context of an action or a person's character. |
| Nepali | "पवित्र" is derived from the Sanskrit root "पव्" (to purify) and carries connotations of purity, cleanliness, and sacredness. |
| Norwegian | Its use in a non-religious sense is as an old swear word, related to 'hell', 'holy' and 'holy smoke' in English, and still a common expletive in Norwegian, in the form of 'hellig(e)'. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | "Woyera" is also the name of a type of traditional Nyanja song praising God or the chief. |
| Pashto | سپي also means "white" in Pashto. |
| Persian | The term 'مقدس' is also used in the context of purity, sacredness, and devotion. |
| Polish | The word "święty" in Polish can also refer to a saint or a holiday. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The word **piedosos** originates from the Latin word *pietas* that means "dutifulness, sense of duty" (towards gods, parents, country). |
| Romanian | "Sfânt" originates from PIE "*sew-" ("to sacrifice") via Latin "sanctus" ("consecrated"), with the same etymological root as "sacrifice", "sacred", and "sanctuary." |
| Russian | In Russian, 'святой' can also mean 'saint' or 'sacred'. |
| Samoan | Paia can also mean a forbidden action, a taboo, or a sacred object. |
| Scots Gaelic | In Gaelic, naomh can refer to "saint," "sanctity," or anything sacred. |
| Serbian | The word "Свети", in addition to its primary meaning of "holy", also has several other meanings, including "bright", "shining", and "illustrious". |
| Sesotho | The word "halalela" also means "to praise" and is related to the word "halelujah" in English. |
| Shona | The word "mutsvene" in Shona derives from the root "-tsven-," meaning "clean" or "pure." |
| Sindhi | 'پاڪ' means 'clean' in Sindhi and is often used to describe something that is sacred or pure. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | "ශුද්ධ" is also used to mean 'pure', 'clean', or 'correct' as in 'correct grammar' |
| Slovak | In the Slovak language, the word "svätý" (holy) is also used to describe something that is particularly beautiful or pleasing. |
| Slovenian | The Slovenian word "sveti" has Indo-European roots and is cognate with the Old Church Slavonic "svętъ". |
| Somali | In Somali, the word 'quduus' also means 'something that is well-liked and precious'. |
| Spanish | The Spanish word "santo" derives from the Latin "sanctus," which means "separated, consecrated, or set apart." |
| Sundanese | "Suci" also means "white" in Sundanese, representing purity and cleanliness. |
| Swahili | The word 'takatifu' in Swahili also means 'pure' or 'sacred'. |
| Swedish | Helig is related to the Old Norse word heilagr, which means |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The Tagalog word "banal" is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word "*banuaŋ", which originally meant "dwelling place of spirits" |
| Tajik | In Arabic (sacred) as well as in other Iranian (Pashto, Dari, Persian) languages, it denotes not only the concept of holiness but often means "forbidden" |
| Telugu | The word "పవిత్ర" (pavitra) in Telugu originates from the Sanskrit word "pavitra," meaning "purified" or "cleansed." |
| Thai | The word 'ศักดิ์สิทธิ์' is derived from Sanskrit and originally meant 'empowered' or 'authorized'. |
| Turkish | "Kutsal" also means "forbidden" in the Ottoman Turkish vocabulary and in archaic Turkish. |
| Ukrainian | The word "святий" in Ukrainian comes from the Proto-Slavic word *svętъ, which also means "bright" or "pure". |
| Urdu | The Urdu word "مقدس" (Holy) is originally derived from the Proto-Indo-European root word meaning "to protect" that is also shared with the Latin "Sanctus" that is also the root of other words like "Saint." |
| Uzbek | The Uzbek word "muqaddas" is borrowed from the Arabic "muqaddas" meaning "holy" or "sacred" and is often used in reference to religious figures or places. |
| Vietnamese | The word "thánh thiện" in Vietnamese literally means "to be clean from all dirt" and is etymologically related to the words "sạch" (clean), and "thơm" (fragrant). |
| Welsh | "Sanctaidd" is derived from the Latin "sanctitās," meaning "holiness, sacredness, or devotion." |
| Xhosa | "Ngqele" is also a type of traditional Xhosa beer that is brewed and drunk during rituals. |
| Yiddish | The word "הייליק" also means "complete" or "perfect" in Yiddish, highlighting the connection between holiness and wholeness. |
| Yoruba | The Yoruba word "mímọ" can also refer to forbidden things or those set apart for the gods. |
| Zulu | The Zulu term 'ngcwele', meaning 'holy' or 'sacred', is derived from the verb '-ngcwela', which means 'to fear' or 'to revere'. |
| English | The word "holy" comes from the Old English word "halig," which means "whole" or "unbroken." |