From Old English 'hālig' (sacred), from Proto-Germanic *hailaz (whole) — holiness was wholeness.
Dedicated to God or a religious purpose; sacred.
From Old English 'hālig' (holy, sacred), from Proto-Germanic *hailagaz, from *hailaz (whole, healthy). Holiness was originally wholeness. Key roots: *hailaz (Proto-Germanic: "whole, complete").