heilagr

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *hailagaz (“holy, sacred”), whence also Old English hāliġ, Old Frisian hēlich, Old Saxon hēlag, Old High German heilag, Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌻𐌰𐌲𐍃 (hailags). Akin to heill +‎ -agr.

Adjective

heilagr (comparative helgari, superlative helgastr)

1. holy
2. inviolable, sacred

Usage notes

This adjective is usually contracted before a vowel, while the root vowel becomes short, yielding another set of possible forms. However, uncontracted forms also tend to appear.

Declension

Strong declension of heilagr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heilagr	heilug, heilǫg	heilagt
accusative	helgan, heilagan	helga, heilaga	heilagt
dative	helgum, heilǫgum	heilagri	helgu, heilǫgu
genitive	heilags	heilagrar	heilags
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgir	helgar, heilagar	heilug, heilǫg
accusative	helga, heilaga	helgar, heilagar	heilug, heilǫg
dative	helgum	helgum	helgum, heilǫgum
genitive	heilagra	heilagra	heilagra

Weak declension of heilagr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgi, heilagi	helga, heilaga	helga, heilaga
accusative	helga, heilaga	helgu, heilǫgu	helga, heilaga
dative	helga, heilaga	helgu, heilǫgu	helga, heilaga
genitive	helga, heilaga	helgu, heilǫgu	helga, heilaga
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgu, heilǫgu	helgu, heilǫgu	helgu, heilǫgu
accusative	helgu, heilǫgu	helgu, heilǫgu	helgu, heilǫgu
dative	helgum, heilǫgum	helgum, heilǫgum	helgum, heilǫgum
genitive	helgu, heilǫgu	helgu, heilǫgu	helgu, heilǫgu

Declension of comparative of heilagr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgari	helgari	helgara
accusative	helgara	helgari	helgara
dative	helgara	helgari	helgara
genitive	helgara	helgari	helgara
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgari	helgari	helgari
accusative	helgari	helgari	helgari
dative	helgurum	helgurum	helgurum
genitive	helgari	helgari	helgari

Strong declension of superlative of heilagr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgastr	helgust	helgast
accusative	helgastan	helgasta	helgast
dative	helgustum	helgastri	helgustu
genitive	helgasts	helgastrar	helgasts
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgastir	helgastar	helgust
accusative	helgasta	helgastar	helgust
dative	helgustum	helgustum	helgustum
genitive	helgastra	helgastra	helgastra

Weak declension of superlative of heilagr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgasti	helgasta	helgasta
accusative	helgasta	helgustu	helgasta
dative	helgasta	helgustu	helgasta
genitive	helgasta	helgustu	helgasta
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgustu	helgustu	helgustu
accusative	helgustu	helgustu	helgustu
dative	helgustum	helgustum	helgustum
genitive	helgustu	helgustu	helgustu

Descendants

• Icelandic: heilagur, helgur
• Faroese: heilagur, halgur
• Norwegian Nynorsk: heilag; (dialectal) heilag’u
• Old Swedish: hēlagher
  • Swedish: helig
• Danish: hellig
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hellig

Further reading

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “heilagr”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive