hierophany

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A physical manifestation of the holy or sacred, serving as a spiritual eidolon for emulation or worship.

Pronunciation

/ˌhaɪ.əˈɹɒ.fə.ni/ /ˌhaɪˈɹɒ.fə.ni/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-hierophany.wav

Word forms

hierophany hierophanies

Etymology

Borrowed from French hiérophanie, as used by Romanian religious historian and philosopher Mircea Eliade (1907–1986) in his book The Sacred and the Profane (1959; translated into English from an unpublished French original), from Ancient Greek ἱερός (hierós, “sacred, holy sign”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “show, appear”).

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