hellig

Hellig is an adjective meaning holy or sacred in several North Germanic languages, most commonly Norwegian and Danish. In Norwegian and Danish, the form hellig is widely used to describe something connected with the divine, reverence, or special ceremonial status. In Swedish, the cognate form is helig.

Etymology and cognates: The word is part of a common Germanic language family development. It derives from Proto-Germanic roots that produced related forms in other Germanic languages, such as English holy and German heilig. These terms share a common meaning related to sacredness, purity, and reverence, and they appear across religious and cultural vocabularies.

Usage and contexts: Hellig appears in religious, liturgical, and everyday language to designate sacred objects, places, days, or concepts. It is used in phrases referring to religious reverence, for example in descriptions of sacred days, sacred places, or sacred texts. In translations of Christian or other religious materials, the term often conveys established reverence rather than everyday or casual significance.

Cultural and linguistic notes: While hellig is standard in Norwegian and Danish, Swedish uses a closely related form—helig—showing the parallel evolution of terms across the Scandinavian languages. The word also features in place names, institutional names, or literary expressions that emphasize sanctity or solemnity.

See also: sacred, holy, sanctity, religious language.