Health and salvation

[Christopher]

salvation/health/holiness are apparently closely linked semantically in Latin and German (e.g. German Heil-Heilung-heilig) - does anybody know whether this is the case in Greek and Aramaic?

[Byron Jack Gaist]

Dear Christopher,

In Greek the word for salvation, sotiria, is related to the word whole, soos. The word for holiness, agiotita, derives from a different root relating to azesthe, to experience awe in the presence of numinosity.

I´m afraid I have no knowledge of Aramaic, and I would also be interested to find out about the possible relations between these words in Christ´s own language.

ICXC
Byron

[Olga]

The Greek word for health is yghieia, from which we get the English word hygiene. Not connected to either words for salvation or holiness. Another word for holiness is hierosyne.

[Byron Jack Gaist]

I wonder if anybody knows if the word ierosyne is in any way related to iasi, which means "cure". I am also thinking of the supplication "Holy One, visit and cure (iase) our sicknesses in Your Name". There is a definite suggestion in this supplication, when compared also with the supplications preceeding it in the prayer, that holiness is directly related to cure.

ICXC
Byron