Afrikaans heilig | ||
Albanian i shenjte | ||
Amharic ቅዱስ | ||
Arabic مقدس | ||
Armenian սուրբ | ||
Assamese ভয় খোৱা | ||
Aymara sakraru | ||
Azerbaijani müqəddəs | ||
Bambara lasirannen | ||
Basque sakratua | ||
Belarusian сакральны | ||
Bengali পবিত্র | ||
Bhojpuri पवित्र | ||
Bosnian sveto | ||
Bulgarian свещен | ||
Catalan sagrat | ||
Cebuano sagrado | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 神圣 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 神聖 | ||
Corsican sacru | ||
Croatian sveto | ||
Czech posvátný | ||
Danish hellig | ||
Dhivehi ހުރުމަތްތެރި | ||
Dogri पवित्तर | ||
Dutch heilig | ||
English sacred | ||
Esperanto sankta | ||
Estonian püha | ||
Ewe si ŋuti kɔ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) sagrado | ||
Finnish pyhä | ||
French sacré | ||
Frisian hillich | ||
Galician sagrado | ||
Georgian წმინდა | ||
German heilig | ||
Greek ιερός | ||
Guarani itupãrekóva | ||
Gujarati પવિત્ર | ||
Haitian Creole sakre | ||
Hausa mai tsarki | ||
Hawaiian laʻa | ||
Hebrew קָדוֹשׁ | ||
Hindi धार्मिक | ||
Hmong dawb ceev | ||
Hungarian szent | ||
Icelandic heilagt | ||
Igbo dị nsọ | ||
Ilocano nasantoan | ||
Indonesian suci | ||
Irish naofa | ||
Italian sacro | ||
Japanese 神聖 | ||
Javanese suci | ||
Kannada ಪವಿತ್ರ | ||
Kazakh қасиетті | ||
Khmer ពិសិដ្ឋ | ||
Kinyarwanda cyera | ||
Konkani पवित्र | ||
Korean 신성한 | ||
Krio oli | ||
Kurdish pîroz | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) پیرۆز | ||
Kyrgyz ыйык | ||
Lao ສັກສິດ | ||
Latin sacris | ||
Latvian svēts | ||
Lingala santu | ||
Lithuanian šventas | ||
Luganda obutukuvu | ||
Luxembourgish helleg | ||
Macedonian свето | ||
Maithili पवित्र | ||
Malagasy masina | ||
Malay suci | ||
Malayalam പവിത്രമാണ് | ||
Maltese sagru | ||
Maori tapu | ||
Marathi पवित्र | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯑꯁꯦꯡꯕ | ||
Mizo serh | ||
Mongolian ариун | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) မြင့်မြတ်သည် | ||
Nepali पवित्र | ||
Norwegian hellig | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) zopatulika | ||
Odia (Oriya) ପବିତ୍ର | ||
Oromo kabajamaa | ||
Pashto سپي | ||
Persian مقدس | ||
Polish poświęcony | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) sagrado | ||
Punjabi ਪਵਿੱਤਰ | ||
Quechua qapaq | ||
Romanian sacru | ||
Russian священный | ||
Samoan paia | ||
Sanskrit पवित्र | ||
Scots Gaelic naomh | ||
Sepedi tšhogile | ||
Serbian свето | ||
Sesotho halalela | ||
Shona chitsvene | ||
Sindhi پاڪ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) පූජනීය | ||
Slovak posvätný | ||
Slovenian sveto | ||
Somali muqaddas ah | ||
Spanish sagrado | ||
Sundanese suci | ||
Swahili takatifu | ||
Swedish helig | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) sagrado | ||
Tajik муқаддас | ||
Tamil புனிதமானது | ||
Tatar изге | ||
Telugu పవిత్రమైనది | ||
Thai ศักดิ์สิทธิ์ | ||
Tigrinya ቕዱስ | ||
Tsonga kwetsima | ||
Turkish kutsal | ||
Turkmen mukaddes | ||
Twi (Akan) nyankosɛm | ||
Ukrainian священний | ||
Urdu مقدس | ||
Uyghur مۇقەددەس | ||
Uzbek muqaddas | ||
Vietnamese linh thiêng | ||
Welsh sanctaidd | ||
Xhosa ngcwele | ||
Yiddish הייליק | ||
Yoruba mimọ | ||
Zulu engcwele |
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word “heilig” originates from the German word “heilig”, which originally meant “whole” or “uninjured”. |
| Albanian | "Shenjtë" also refers to a person who has been recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church. |
| Amharic | The word "ቅዱስ" is derived from the Semitic root "*q-d-š", which also means "holy" or "consecrated" in other languages such as Arabic and Hebrew. |
| Arabic | The word "مقدس" can also mean "clean" or "holy" in Arabic. |
| Armenian | The word "սուրբ" can also mean "strong" or "powerful" in Armenian, reflecting its connection to the Zoroastrian concept of "spenta" (holy) and the Sanskrit "sur" (hero). |
| Azerbaijani | The word "müqəddəs" in Azerbaijani can also mean "decent" or "chaste." |
| Basque | The Basque word |
| Belarusian | Слово "сакральны" происходит от латинского "sacrum", что означает "священный" или "неприкосновенный". |
| Bengali | The word 'পবিত্র' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'पवित्र' (pavitra), which means 'pure' or 'holy'. |
| Bosnian | The word 'sveto' has Slavic origins and is cognate with other Slavic languages, where it also refers to holy or consecrated people, objects, or places. |
| Bulgarian | The word "свещен" (sacred) in Bulgarian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "svekъ", meaning "light" or "pure", and is also related to the words "свет" (light) and "святост" (holiness). |
| Catalan | Catalan "sagrat" derives from Latin "sacratus", meaning "consecrated" or "holy", and is related to English "sacrosanct". |
| Cebuano | The word sagrado in Cebuano, which has the alternate meaning of "holy" or "inviolable," is derived from the Spanish word "sagrado," meaning "sacred" or "consecrated." |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 神圣 derives from 神 (god) and 圣 (sage), meaning "holy or sacred". It can also mean "solemn or revered". |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 神聖 can also mean 'divine', 'holy', 'sacred', or 'solemn'. |
| Corsican | In Corsican, 'sacru' can also refer to 'cursed' or 'accursed' |
| Croatian | The Serbo-Croatian root *svet* refers to brightness, clarity, and the world as a whole, and is cognated with words for "light" in other Slavic languages. |
| Czech | The word "posvátný" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "svętъ" with the meaning of "separated" or "unapproachable by ordinary people". |
| Danish | Possibly related to the Middle Low German word 'helge', meaning 'holy' or 'sacred'. |
| Dutch | The word “heilig” in Dutch can also mean “whole” or “healthy.” |
| Esperanto | "--sankta" is a loanword from Latin and it can also mean "saintly" or "holy" in Esperanto. |
| Estonian | The word "püha" in Estonian can also refer to "holiday" |
| Finnish | "Pyhä" means "sacred" in Finnish, but it also refers to "whole" and "healthy" in the Kalevala epic. |
| French | The French word "sacré" can also mean "damned" or "cursed" when used as a minced oath. |
| Frisian | The verb "halia" from which "hillich" derives can mean "to consecrate" or "to keep separate". |
| Galician | Galician 'sagrado' can derive from the Latin 'sacratus' but also from the Celtic 'sacar', meaning 'to venerate'. |
| Georgian | The word "წმინდა" (sacred) is derived from the Proto-Kartvelian root *tʾmin- meaning "clean" or "pure". |
| German | The German word "heilig" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "hailagaz", meaning "whole" or "uninjured". |
| Greek | Ιερός is also used to describe religious ceremonies, sacrifices, and other practices related to the divine. |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word "પવિત્ર" could be related to the Sanskrit word "पवित्र," meaning "pure, clean, or undefiled." |
| Haitian Creole | The word "sakre" in Haitian Creole also means "damn" and is derived from the French word "sacré". |
| Hausa | "Mai tsarki" also has the meaning of "holy one," particularly a saint, or in some cases "sacred land," and is sometimes used with "wuri" ("land" or "place"), e.g., "wurin maitsarki" ("a place of sanctity"). |
| Hawaiian | The Hawaiian word 'laʻa' also means 'to spread' or 'to extend', suggesting a connection between the sacred and the expansive. |
| Hebrew | The word “קָדוֹשׁ” can also mean “distinguished” or “extraordinary” and is often used in a religious context to describe something or someone worthy of special reverence or respect. |
| Hindi | "धार्मिक" can alternatively refer to a person belonging to a particular faith. |
| Hmong | The Hmong word 'dawb ceev' is also associated with the spirit world, as well as with the concept of purity and righteousness. |
| Hungarian | In Hungarian, the word "szent" is cognate to the word "sāktas" in Sanskrit, signifying the sacred and sanctified. |
| Icelandic | The word "heilagt" can also mean "magical" or "divine" in Icelandic, showing the deep connection between the sacred and the supernatural in the culture |
| Igbo | In certain contexts, "dị nsọ" is also used metaphorically to denote something highly valued (like the concept of "holy grail") |
| Indonesian | The word "suci" also means "clean" or "pure" and is cognate with the Malay word "suchi" meaning "clean", "pure", "bright", "shining", or "sacred". |
| Irish | The word "naofa" in Irish can also mean "saint" or "holy person". |
| Italian | Derived from Latin "sacer" (holy, consecrated), the word "sacro" in Italian can also mean cursed or damned. |
| Japanese | 神聖 can also refer to a divine being or a deity. |
| Javanese | The Javanese word "suci" also means "clean" or "pure" and is cognate with the Sanskrit word "shuci" meaning the same. |
| Kannada | The word "ಪವಿತ್ರ" also means "pure" or "holy" in Kannada. |
| Kazakh | The word "қасиетті" is derived from the Persian word "qasd", meaning "intention, purpose", and thus can also mean "holy" or "blessed." |
| Korean | The word '신성한' (sacred) in Korean can also refer to something that is divine, holy, or inviolable. |
| Kurdish | The word "pîroz" in Kurdish also means "festive" or "auspicious". |
| Kyrgyz | The word "ыйык" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word *yïðïk, meaning "taboo" or "forbidden." |
| Lao | The word "ສັກສິດ" (sacred) also means "evidence" or "proof" in Lao, highlighting the belief that the sacred is supported by observable evidence. |
| Latin | The word "sacris" also refers to divine ceremonies, rituals, and religious rites in Latin. |
| Latvian | "Svēts" could also refer to a holy place, a ritual, or a holiday in Proto-Baltic. |
| Lithuanian | The word "šventas" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂wen-, meaning "to win favour". |
| Luxembourgish | The word "helleg" likely derives from the Proto-Germanic word "*hailagaz", meaning "whole", "healthy", or "holy". |
| Macedonian | The word "свето" in Macedonian can also mean "light", "holy", or "divine". |
| Malagasy | The word 'masina' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'mahiṣa', meaning 'buffalo', which was considered a sacred animal in Madagascar. |
| Malay | The word 'suci' in Malay can also refer to purity, holiness, or chastity. |
| Malayalam | The word "പവിത്രമാണ്" in Malayalam can also refer to something that is pure, clean, or uncontaminated. |
| Maltese | The Maltese word "sagru" also refers to anything connected to religion, such as a priest's vestments or a relic. |
| Maori | The Maori term 'tapu' encompasses a range of meanings including sacredness, prohibition, and restriction. |
| Marathi | The word "पवित्र" has cognates in other Indo-Aryan languages, such as "पवित्र" in Hindi and "पवित्र" in Gujarati. |
| Mongolian | The word "ариун" also means "clean" or "pure" in Mongolian. |
| Nepali | The word 'pavitra' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'pavitraka', meaning a purifier or strainer. |
| Norwegian | "Hellig" means "sacred" in Norwegian, and derives from the Old Norse word "heilagr" meaning "of or belonging to a god". It can also mean "whole" or "unbroken" in Norwegian. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The Nyanja word "zopatulika" is derived from the verb "kuopa," meaning "to worship" or "to venerate." |
| Pashto | The word “سپي” is derived from the words “سپ” (sacred, holy) and “اي” (suffix indicating quality or state). |
| Persian | The Persian word 'مقدس' may also refer to 'honorable' or 'esteemed'. |
| Polish | "Poświęcony" also means "dedicated" in Polish, which sheds light on its original meaning of "set apart for a specific purpose." |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | "Sagrado" derives from Latin "sacer", ultimately meaning "set apart" or "hallowed". |
| Punjabi | In addition to its literal meaning, 'pavitara' also refers to a sacred book or scripture in Sikhism. |
| Romanian | The Romanian word 'sacru' is derived from the Latin 'sacer', meaning 'dedicated to a deity or set apart for religious purposes', but also 'cursed' or 'accursed'. |
| Russian | The Russian word "священный" ("sacred") is related to the word "связь" ("connection"), implying a connection to something divine. |
| Samoan | The word "paia" in Samoan is also used to describe something that is forbidden or taboo. |
| Scots Gaelic | The word "naomh" is also used in Scots Gaelic to refer to a person who is holy or virtuous. |
| Serbian | The word "свето" can also mean "light" or "holy" in Serbian. |
| Sesotho | Although "halalela" is frequently translated as "sacred," other meanings, such as "holy," "pure," and "set apart," may also be used. |
| Shona | "Chitsvene" can also mean "a precious, valuable, and important person or thing" in Shona. |
| Sindhi | The word "پاڪ" can also mean "pure", "clean", or "holy" in Sindhi. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පූජනීය is also commonly used as a term of respect for religious figures and objects, and for certain highly respected individuals. |
| Slovak | The Slovak word posvätný comes from the Slavic root *svęt-, meaning "holy," and is cognate with words like the Russian свято́й (svyatóy) and the Polish święty. |
| Slovenian | "Sveto" also means "world" or "light" in Slovenian. |
| Somali | The word "muqaddas ah" in Somali derives from the Arabic word "muqaddas" which means "sanctified" or "holy". |
| Spanish | The term "Sagrado," derived from Latin, also means consecrated, inviolable or holy. |
| Sundanese | The word "suci" in Sundanese can also mean "clean" or "pure". |
| Swahili | The word 'takatifu' also means 'clean, pure, or sanctified' in Swahili. |
| Swedish | The word "helig" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word *hailagaz, meaning "whole, sound, or healthy". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The Tagalog word "sagrado" means "sacred" in English, and is also used in Spanish speaking countries to mean "consecrated" or "holy". |
| Tajik | The word “муқаддас” comes from the Arabic word “muqaddas,” which means “holy.” |
| Thai | The word "ศักดิ์สิทธิ์" also means "divine" and can refer to anything related to or possessing divine power. |
| Turkish | Kutsal is also the name of a village in Turkey's Edirne Province. |
| Ukrainian | "Священний" derives from Proto-Slavic *svętъ, related to *svętiti, meaning "to consecrate, render holy." |
| Urdu | The word "مقدس" ("sacred") also means "a place where a person can be close to God" in Urdu. |
| Uzbek | "Muqaddas" derives from the Arabic word "muqaddas" meaning "holy" or "consecrated" and also refers to a "shrine" or "holy place". |
| Vietnamese | The word "Linh thiêng" is derived from the Chinese word "靈驗" (língyàn), which means "a response from the gods". |
| Welsh | The Welsh word 'sanctaidd' comes from 'sanct' (holy) and the suffix '-aidd' meaning 'connected with' |
| Xhosa | The word "Ngcwele" in Xhosa does not have any alternate meanings. |
| Yiddish | Yiddish "הייליק" derives from Old High German "heilag" meaning "whole, healthy, holy". |
| Yoruba | "Mimọ" in Yoruba can also refer to a ritual of consecration or to certain objects or places that are considered to be holy. |
| Zulu | Zulu 'engcwele', from the root 'gcwela', to purify, cleanse, make holy |
| English | "Sacred" derives from the Latin sacer which referred either to something dedicated to a deity or cursed by a deity. |