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bless

Etymology and origin of the English word bless

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 950

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /blɛs/[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English blessen, from Old English blētsian, blēdsian, Northumbrian bloedsian, to consecrate by a religious rite,[2][3][4] from Proto-Germanic *blōdisōną, to mark or hallow with blood, from *blōþą, blood;[3][5][6] originally perhaps a sprinkling of blood on pagan altars.[3][7] Hoad calls it a purely English formation, and Word Origins notes that no equivalent exists in other Germanic languages.[5][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

To sanctify by making the sign of the cross: about 950 in the OED;[8] to consecrate by a religious rite, about 1000.[8]

Semantic evolution

Old English Bibles chose it to translate Latin benedicere and Greek eulogein, literally to speak well of, used in Scripture for Hebrew brk, to bend the knee, worship, praise;[3][2][5] hence bless God, to praise.[2] In late Old English the meaning shifted towards pronounce or make happy or fortunate, by resemblance to the unrelated bliss.[3] To invoke God's blessing on someone is from the early 14th century.[3] Not a penny to bless oneself with alludes to the cross on old coins (1557).[8] Bless you, said to someone who sneezes, is short for God bless you.[9]

Timeline

  • c. 950 – to sanctify with the cross.[8]
  • c. 1000 – to consecrate.[8]
  • early 14th century – to invoke God's favour on.[3]
  • 1557 – not a penny to bless oneself with.[8]

Modern meaning

Verb

  1. To make holy by a religious rite; to consecrate.
  2. To ask God's favour and protection for.
  3. To praise or glorify God.
  4. To give happiness or good fortune to: blessed with good health.
  5. To make the sign of the cross over.

Word family

  • blesser
  • blessingly
  • outbless
  • prebless
  • blessed
  • blessing
  • bleed
  • blood
  • bliss

Usage notes

Despite their resemblance, bless and bliss are not related.[3]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  8. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  9. ^ Soanes, Catherine; Stevenson, Angus, eds. (2004), Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
Cite this entry

“Bless.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/bless. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·