DictionaryRoot: halig
Old English
halig
sacred, consecrated
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adjective
unholy
un-HOH-lee/ʌnˈhəʊli/
Offending what is regarded as sacred.
Etymology
Halig covered both sacred status and godly character. Negating it therefore gives not only ‘not sacred’ but also ‘impious’ or ‘wicked,’ the stronger moral meaning already found in Old English unhalig.