Halgian

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To set something apart as sacred through a religious rite, making it holy in the manner of an Old English consecration
2. To hallow or sanctify an object, place, or person so that it is dedicated to God and regarded as holy
3. To consecrate or make sacred by ceremony, an archaic verb from Old English meaning to render something holy

Etymology: Halgian is an Old English verb meaning "to hallow," "to make holy," or "to consecrate." It is the verb built from "hālig," the Old English adjective for holy, sacred, or blessed. That adjective is the same root that gives modern English "holy," so the two words are close relatives, with "halgian" being the action of making something holy. The verb is recorded in Old English texts, where it was used in religious contexts for consecrating churches, altars, and people. It belongs to the same family as "hālgung" (hallowing, consecration) and "hālga" (a saint or holy person), and the family can be traced back to a Germanic root shared with other early Germanic languages. Because "halgian" survived only in Old English, its direct descendant in modern English is "hallow," which has been used mainly in the phrase "hallowed be thy name" and in words like "Halloween," meaning "All Hallows' Evening," the eve of All Saints' Day. The "-een" ending is a contraction of "even," so the word is a relic of an older religious calendar.