Exaltations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Acts of expressing great praise or honor ; states of feeling extreme joy or high spirits
2. Instances of lifting someone in status through admiration ; conditions of emotional or spiritual uplift
3. Moments of celebrating someone's virtues or achievements ; experiences of intense delight or ecstasy

Etymology: The noun in question traces back to the Latin verb "exaltare," meaning "to raise up" or "to elevate." This verb itself is a frequentative form of "altare," related to "altus," meaning "high" or "deep." The prefix "ex-" intensifies the sense of lifting or elevating outward and upward. From Latin, the term passed into Old French as "exalter," carrying the sense of lifting up in status or spirit. By the late Middle Ages, the English language adopted the word as "exalt," initially as a verb meaning to raise someone or something to a high rank or to glorify. The noun form, appearing around the 15th or 16th century, evolved to encapsulate the state or act of being exalted, often in contexts of praise, joy, or spiritual elevation. The plural form highlights various instances or expressions of intense joy, pride, or spiritual rapture. Historically, it has been used in religious and poetic contexts to denote moments of sublime elation or the act of lifting the soul beyond ordinary experience. The word’s journey from a physical act of lifting to a metaphorical sense of elevating status or emotion reflects a common pattern in language, where concrete actions lend themselves to abstract concepts. Thus, the term embodies a trajectory from the literal to the figurative, from physical height to spiritual or emotional uplift, maintaining a core idea of upward movement and enhancement throughout its history.

Synonyms: elations, elevations, joys, exuberances, thrills