heiliger

Heiliger is a German term with both adjective and noun uses. As an adjective, it means sacred or holy, applied to persons, places, or things that are regarded as sanctified. As a noun, or a capitalized epithet, it denotes a saint or a sacred figure, and can appear in fixed expressions such as the Holy Spirit or the Holy Land.

Etymology and forms: Heiliger comes from Old High German heilag, meaning sacred, from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz. Related terms appear in other Germanic languages, such as Dutch heilig and English holy. In German, the word inflects like an adjective, but when it is used as a substantive title, it is capitalized and declined as a noun (Der Heilige Nikolaus, die Heiligen Drei Könige, der Heilige Geist).

Usage in religion and culture: In Christian contexts, heiliger denotes saints or sacred entities. It often prefixes a saint’s name (Der Heilige Nikolaus, die Heilige Jungfrau Maria) or forms common expressions (das Heilige Abendmahl, die Heilige Messe, das Heilige Land). The phrase der Heilige Geist refers to the Holy Spirit. Beyond explicit religious references, heiliger can appear in idiomatic or literary usage to evoke holiness or sanctity.

Grammatical note: When used as a normal attributive adjective before a common noun, it is written in lowercase (ein heiliger Ort). When the term functions as a proper title or noun, it is capitalized (der Heilige, die Heiligen). This distinction helps signal whether the word is describing sanctity or naming a specific sacred figure.

See also: Saint, Holy Spirit, Holy Scriptures, Holy Land, list of saints.