holy

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holy OE. hāliġ = OS. hēlag, OHG. heilag (Du., G. heilig), ON. heilagr, Goth. hailag :- Gmc. *χailaʒaz, f. *χailaz WHOLE; the primary meaning may have been either ‘of good augury’ or ‘inviolate’.
Hence holy day OE. hāliġ dæġ; revived in XIX; Holy Ghost OE. se hālga gāst ‘the holy spirit’, hāliġ gāst, hāligāst (often as one word in ME), tr. ecclL. sanctus spiritus (Holy Spirit XIII); holystone piece of sandstone for scouring decks XIX; said to be so named because the work is done kneeling.

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