English
holocaust
Holocaust comes from Ancient Greek ὁλόκαυστος ‘wholly burnt’, from ὅλος ‘entire, whole’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*solh₂-‘whole’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*solh₂wósreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὅλοςhólos‘entire, whole’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὁλόκαυστοςholókaustos‘wholly burnt’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὁλόκαυστονholókaustonneuter form of ὁλόκαυστος
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEholocaustum
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400holocauste
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500holocaust‘burnt offering’
- Englishearliest quotation 1526holocaust
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*solh₂-‘whole’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*solh₂wósreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEὅλοςhólos‘entire, whole’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὁλόκαυστοςholókaustos‘wholly burnt’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEὁλόκαυστονholókaustonneuter form of ὁλόκαυστος
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEholocaustum
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400holocauste
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500holocaust‘burnt offering’
- Englishearliest quotation 1526holocaust
Earliest quotation: 1526, [William Tyndale, The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible): “And the ſcribe ſayde vnto hym: well maſter⸝ thou…”
Equivalent to holo- + -caust
Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- ‘whole’
Proto-Indo-European *solh₂wós
Ancient Greek ὅλος ‘whole, entire’
English holo-
The story
The noun is derived from Middle English holocaust (‘burnt offering’) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman holocauste, Old French holocauste, olocauste (modern French holocaust), from Late Latin holocaustum, from Ancient Greek ὁλόκαυστον (holókauston), the neuter form of ὁλόκαυστος (holókaustos, “wholly burnt”), from ὅλος (hólos, “entire, whole”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- (‘whole’)) + καυστός (kaustós, “burnt”) (from καίω (kaíō, “to burn, burn up”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂w-).uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *keh₂w-
through Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- ‘whole’
save, safe, sold, solid, salvation, sage, salute, savior, salvage, sol, xu, salvo, sou, salve, salvia, salutation, salutary, salubrious, 30 more
through Proto-Indo-European *solh₂wós
Today it means
noun An offering or sacrifice to a deity that is completely burned to ashes.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- / holocaust