[Lexicog] blessing

[fieldworks_support at SIL.ORG]

Etymology online says "bless" comes from old English, not Romance
languages.

O.E. bletsian, bledsian, Northumbrian bloedsian "to consecrate, make holy,"
from P.Gmc. *blothisojan "mark with blood," from *blotham "blood" (see
blood). Originally a blood sprinkling on pagan altars. This word was chosen
in O.E. bibles to translate L. benedicere and Gk. eulogein, both of which
have a ground sense of "to speak well of, to praise," but were used in
Scripture to translate Heb. brk "to bend (the knee), worship, praise,
invoke blessings." Meaning shifted in late O.E. toward "to confer
happiness, well-being," by resemblance to unrelated bliss. No cognates in
other languages. Blessing is O.E. bledsung.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=b&p=11

Steve White, Jaars language software support
704-843-6337, 1-800-215-7813




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