Kegyhelyhez

Kegyhelyhez is a Hungarian directional form that combines the noun kegyhely, meaning a sacred place or shrine, with the suffix -hoz. The resulting expression functions as a prepositional phrase meaning “to the shrine” or “toward the sacred place” and is typically used with verbs of motion or with constructions describing direction or destination. It can appear in simple clauses such as “A zarándok a kegyhelyhez megy” (The pilgrim goes to the shrine) and in compound phrases like “kegyhelyhez vezető út” (the road leading to the shrine).

Morphology and usage are governed by Hungarian vowel harmony, which determines whether the suffix appears as -hoz, -hez, or -höz. In the form kegyhelyhez, the chosen variant follows standard harmony rules for the stem. The suffix indicates destination and is commonly paired with verbs of movement (megy, közeledik, tart) or with phrases describing routes and journeys toward a sacred site.

Semantically, kegyhelyek (sacred places) are places of religious significance, often associated with miracles, relics, or pilgrimages. The expression kegyhelyhez is a neutral linguistic tool used to describe approaching or arriving at such places, and it appears in religious, historical, and travel writing. It can be part of broader phrases, such as zarándoklat a kegyhelyhez vezető úton or a kegyhelyhez fűződő szertartások, depending on the context.

Related forms include kegyhely (the shrine itself) and kegyhelyekhez or kegyhelyekhez, used when referring to multiple sacred places or to actions directed toward several sites.