The Etymology of Saint
The word 'saint' connects holiness with law in a way most speakers never suspect. Latin 'sancīre' meant both 'to make sacred' and 'to ratify by decree' — a double meaning reflecting the Roman understanding that sacred things and binding laws drew their force from the same source. The past participle 'sanctus' (made sacred, inviolable) could describe a consecrated temple, a ratified treaty, or a venerable person. Early Christians adopted 'sanctus' to translate the Greek 'hagios' (holy), applying it to martyrs and holy figures deemed worthy of special veneration. The formal process of canonisation — by which the Church officially declares someone a saint — did not become standardised until the 10th century under Pope John XV.