heathen

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See also: Heathen

English

Etymology

From Middle English hethen, from Old English hǣþen, from Proto-West Germanic *haiþin, from Proto-Germanic *haiþinaz (“heathen, pagan”, adj), equivalent to heath (“heathland”) +‎ -en. Cognate with West Frisian heiden, Dutch heiden, Middle High German heiden, German Heiden, German Heide, Swedish heden, Danish hedensk (from heden+sk), Icelandic heiðinn. See also Proto-Germanic *haiduz, Old Norse heiðr (honour, bright, moor), Icelandic heiður (honour).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈhiːðən/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -iːðən

Adjective

heathen (not comparable)

  1. Not adhering to an Abrahamic religion; pagan.
  2. (by extension) Uncultured; uncivilized; savage, philistine.
  3. Alternative letter-case form of Heathen (pertaining or adhering to the Germanic neo-pagan faith Heathenry).

Translations

Heathen — see Heathen

Noun

heathen (plural heathens or heathen)

  1. A pagan; someone who is neither Christian nor Jewish (other Abrahamic or monotheistic religions may or may not be included)
    • V. Knox
      If it is no more than a moral discourse, he may preach it and they may hear it, and yet both continue unconverted heathens.
    • 1930, H. E. Bolton, Anza's California expeditions, volume 1, page 403:
      On hearing his cries two heathen who were hunting on the lagoon ran up, and they were bold enough to try to avenge the injury, making ready to shoot arrows at the soldiers, who fired two gunshots just to frighten them […]
  2. (by extension) An uncultured or uncivilized person, philistine.
  3. Alternative letter-case form of Heathen (an adherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry).

Coordinate terms

Derived terms

Translations

Heathen — see Heathen
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Further reading

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