holiness
UK[ˈhəʊ.li.nəs]US[ˈhoʊ.li.nəs]
n
the state or quality of being holy; sacredness.
n
(as a title, usually His/Your Holiness) used to address or refer to the Pope or other high religious leaders.
Morpheme Breakdown
holy
ness
holy
adjective
ness
noun suffix
Etymology
the word 'holiness' is a native english formation, built from the old english adjective hālig and the productive suffix -nes. the root hālig is itself derived from hāl, meaning "whole, sound, healthy", suggesting an original concept of spiritual wholeness or inviolability. over time, hālig specialized to denote divine sanctity, a meaning reinforced by its use in christian contexts to translate latin sanctus. the suffix -nes systematically creates nouns of quality, making 'holiness' the abstract state of being holy. thus, the term evolved from a notion of physical and spiritual completeness to its modern, more narrowly religious sense of sacredness or divine perfection.
Analysis
Structure: holy (adjective) + ness (noun suffix)
holy: from old english hālig, meaning "holy, sacred, consecrated". its functional role is the core adjective root conveying the quality of being sacred.
ness: from old english -nes(s), a noun-forming suffix used to create abstract nouns indicating a state, quality, or condition. its role is to convert the adjective 'holy' into an abstract noun.
Examples
the pilgrims traveled to the site because of its perceived holiness.
the ceremony was conducted with an atmosphere of deep holiness.
his holiness the dalai lama addressed the crowd.