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).

Adjective

heilagr (comparative helgari, superlative helgastr)

1. holy
2. inviolable, sacred

Declension

    Strong declension of heilagr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heilagr	helg, heilǫg	helgt, heilagt
accusative	helgan, heilagan	helga, heilaga	helgt, heilagt
dative	helgum, heilǫgum	helgri, heilagri	helgu, heilǫgu
genitive	helgs, heilags	helgrar, heilagrar	helgs, heilags
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgir, heilagir	helgar, heilagar	helg, heilǫg
accusative	helga, heilaga	helgar, heilagar	helg, heilǫg
dative	helgum, heilǫgum	helgum, heilǫgum	helgum, heilǫgum
genitive	helgra, heilagra	helgra, heilagra	helgra, 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 heilagr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgari, heilagari	helgari, heilagari	helgara, heilagara
accusative	helgara, heilagara	helgari, heilagari	helgara, heilagara
dative	helgara, heilagara	helgari, heilagari	helgara, heilagara
genitive	helgara, heilagara	helgari, heilagari	helgara, heilagara
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgari, heilagari	helgari, heilagari	helgari, heilagari
accusative	helgari, heilagari	helgari, heilagari	helgari, heilagari
dative	helgurum, heilǫgurum	helgurum, heilǫgurum	helgurum, heilǫgurum
genitive	helgari, heilagari	helgari, heilagari	helgari, heilagari

    Strong declension of superlative of heilagr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	heilagastr	helgust, heilǫgust	helgast, heilagast
accusative	helgastan, heilagastan	helgasta, heilagasta	helgast, heilagast
dative	helgustum, heilǫgustum	helgastri, heilagastri	helgustu, heilǫgustu
genitive	helgasts, heilagasts	helgastrar, heilagastrar	helgasts, heilagasts
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgastir, heilagastir	helgastar, heilagastar	helgust, heilǫgust
accusative	helgasta, heilagasta	helgastar, heilagastar	helgust, heilǫgust
dative	helgustum, heilǫgustum	helgustum, heilǫgustum	helgustum, heilǫgustum
genitive	helgastra, heilagastra	helgastra, heilagastra	helgastra, heilagastra

    Weak declension of superlative of heilagr

singular	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgasti, heilagasti	helgasta, heilagasta	helgasta, heilagasta
accusative	helgasta, heilagasta	helgustu, heilǫgustu	helgasta, heilagasta
dative	helgasta, heilagasta	helgustu, heilǫgustu	helgasta, heilagasta
genitive	helgasta, heilagasta	helgustu, heilǫgustu	helgasta, heilagasta
plural	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	helgustu, heilǫgustu	helgustu, heilǫgustu	helgustu, heilǫgustu
accusative	helgustu, heilǫgustu	helgustu, heilǫgustu	helgustu, heilǫgustu
dative	helgustum, heilǫgustum	helgustum, heilǫgustum	helgustum, heilǫgustum
genitive	helgustu, heilǫgustu	helgustu, heilǫgustu	helgustu, heilǫgustu

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.

Descendants

• Icelandic: heilagur, helgur
• Faroese: heilagur, halgur
• Norwegian Nynorsk: heilag
• Old Swedish: hēlagher
  • Swedish: helig
• Danish: hellig

→ Norwegian Bokmål: hellig

References

• “heilagr”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press