Etymograph

English

Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit comes from Middle English Holy Speryte.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Holy Speryte
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1731Holy Spirit

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Holy Speryte
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1731Holy Spirit

Earliest quotation: 1731, Dialogue on the Holy Spirit: “The Holy Spirit is now the Spirit of Christ…”

Formed from holy + Spirit

Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos ‘intact’

…

Proto-Germanic *hailagaz ‘holy’

Proto-West Germanic *hailag ‘holy’

Old English hāleġ ‘holy’

Middle English ali

English holy

Latin spīrō ‘to breathe’

Latin spīritus ‘breath’

Old French espirit

Middle English spirit ‘life’

English Spirit

The story

From Late Middle English Holy Speryte, holy spiriet, holy spyryt, an alteration of earlier Middle English Holygost, Haliȝ Gast, holy goost (see Holy Ghost), equivalent to holy + Spirit.

Every English word from Middle English Holy Speryte

Today it means

name The person (hypostasis) of the Trinity or Godhead corresponding to divine essence present in the faithful (particularly inspired prophets) and considered to proceed either from (Eastern Orthodoxy) God the Father alone or (Roman Catholicism) from Him together with God the Son.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Middle English Holy Speryte / Holy Spirit

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