Note on the word Monk

This article by Archimandrite Lev Gillet offers a semantic and comparative study of the vocabulary of holiness in three biblical and liturgical languages: Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. The approach is philological and theological, drawing on the etymology of the terms *kedoushah*, *hassidut*, *hagios*, and *sanctus* to uncover the deep structures of the notion of holiness. The main idea is that, despite the absence of a common origin, these terms converge toward two invariant components: purity and sacrifice. The article then shows how Christianity shifts the emphasis from objective holiness to subjective holiness, substituting evangelical perfection for Levitical sacredness. The theological contribution lies in the demonstration that all Christian holiness is participation in the unique holiness of Christ, as expressed in the Byzantine liturgy.