English word holly comes from Middle English (1100-1500) holyn, Proto-Germanic *hailzą, Proto-Germanic - gaz, and later Old English (ca. 450-1100) hal (Sound, healthy, intact. Whole, undivided.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| holyn | Middle English (1100-1500) (enm) | |
| *hailzą | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| - gaz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| hal | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | Sound, healthy, intact. Whole, undivided. |
| *hailagaz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Holy, sacred. |
| halig | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | Holy, sacred; pious; sound, healthy. |
| hāleġ | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | |
| holliche | Middle English (1100-1500) (enm) | |
| holly | English (eng) | (with a qualifier) Any of several unrelated plant species likened to Ilex because of their prickly, evergreen foliage and/or round, bright-red berries. Any of various shrubs or (mostly) small trees, of the genus Ilex, either evergreen or deciduous, used as decoration especially at Christmas.. The wood from this tree. |