English
bless
Bless comes from Middle English blessen ‘to ecclesiastically sanction or sanctify’, from Old English bletsian ‘to consecrate (with blood)’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *blōþą.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*blōþą‘blood’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*blōdisōn‘to sprinkle, mark or hallow with blood’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150bletsian‘to consecrate (with blood)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500blessen‘to ecclesiastically sanction or sanctify’
- Englishearliest quotation 1577bless
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*blōþą‘blood’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*blōdisōn‘to sprinkle, mark or hallow with blood’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150bletsian‘to consecrate (with blood)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500blessen‘to ecclesiastically sanction or sanctify’
- Englishearliest quotation 1577bless
Earliest quotation: 1577, Raphaell Holinshed, The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England: “the archbishop vsing certeine praiers, blessed the king”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- ‘to bloom’
full, flower, fool, blow, bloody, blade, floral, foil, flora, bloom, flourish, folly, blossom, folio, ferret, florist, flor, folic, fleur, belladonna, exfoliate, bloodless, 53 more
through Proto-Germanic *blōþą ‘blood’
Today it means
verb To make something holy by religious rite, sanctify.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *blōþą / bless