Etymology
From Middle English hethen, from Old English hǣþen, from Proto-West Germanic *haiþin, from Proto-Germanic *haiþinaz (“heathen, pagan”, adjective), 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).
Adjective
heathen (comparative heathener or more heathen, superlative heathenest or most heathen)
- Not adhering to an Abrahamic religion; pagan.
2006, Jeff Hanneman, “Jihad”, Tom Araya (lyrics), performed by Slayer:War of holy principles
I'm seeking God's help in your destruction
Slit the throat of heathen man
And let his blood dilute the water, bury your dead
- (by extension) Uncultured; uncivilized; savage; barbarian.
- Alternative letter-case form of Heathen (pertaining or adhering to the Germanic neo-pagan faith Heathenry).
Translations
not adhering to an Abrahamic religion
savage
- Afrikaans: barbaars
- Bulgarian: ва́рварски (bg) (várvarski), дива́шки (bg) (diváški)
- Danish: hedensk, barbarisk
- Dutch: barbaars (nl), heidens (nl), onbeschaafd (nl)
- Finnish: pakanallinen (fi)
- French: barbare (fr) m or f
- German: barbarisch (de), unzivilisiert (de)
- Hungarian: barbár (hu)
- Icelandic: heiðinn m
- Italian: pagano (it)
- Macedonian: варварски (varvarski), дивјачки (divjački)
- Polish: barbarzyński (pl)
- Russian: ди́кий (ru) (díkij)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: ба̀рбарскӣ, ва̀рварскӣ, дѝвља̄чкӣ
- Roman: bàrbarskī (sh), vàrvarskī (sh), dìvljāčkī (sh)
- Spanish: bárbaro (es)
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Noun
heathen (plural heathens or heathen)
- A pagan; someone who is neither Christian, Jewish, or Muslim (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 […]
- (by extension) An uncultured or uncivilized person, philistine.
- Alternative letter-case form of Heathen (an adherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry).
Translations
person who does not follow an Abrahamic religion
- Afrikaans: heiden (af), heidene pl, ongelowige, ongelowiges pl
- Arabic: وَثَنِيّ m (waṯaniyy), وَثَنِيَّة f (waṯaniyya), مُشْرِك m (mušrik)
- Armenian: հեթանոս (hy) (hetʻanos)
- Belarusian: язы́чнік m (jazýčnik), язы́чніца f (jazýčnica)
- Bulgarian: ези́чник (bg) m (ezíčnik), ези́чничка f (ezíčnička), ези́чница f (ezíčnica)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 異教徒 / 异教徒 (zh) (yìjiàotú)
- Czech: pohan (cs) m, pohanka (cs) f
- Danish: hedning c
- Dutch: heiden (nl) m or f, ongelovige (nl)
- Finnish: pakana (fi)
- French: païen (fr) m, païenne (fr) f
- Georgian: წარმართი (c̣armarti)
- German: Heide (de) m, Heidin (de) f
- Greek: ειδωλολάτρης (el) m (eidololátris)
- Hindi: बुतपरस्त (hi) m (butparast)
- Hungarian: pogány (hu)
- Icelandic: heiðingi (is) m
- Ingrian: pakana
- Irish: págánach m, págán m
- Italian: pagano (it) m, pagana (it) f
- Japanese: 異教徒 (ja) (いきょうと, ikyōto)
- Korean: 이교도(異敎徒) (igyodo)
- Macedonian: паганин m (paganin), паганка f (paganka)
- Manx: anchreestee m (non-Christian)
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: hedning m
- Nynorsk: heidning m
- Old East Slavic: ꙗзꙑчьникъ m (jazyčĭnikŭ)
- Old English: hǣþen
- Ottoman Turkish: زندیق (zındık)
- Pashto: بت پرست (ps) m (bot parast)
- Persian:
- Dari: بُتپَرَسْت (fa) (but-parast)
- Iranian Persian: بُتپَرَسْت (fa) (bot-parast)
- Plautdietsch: Heid m
- Polish: poganin (pl) m, poganka (pl) f
- Portuguese: pagão (pt) m, pagã (pt) f
- Romanian: păgân (ro), păgână (ro) f
- Russian: язы́чник (ru) (jazýčnik), язы́чница (ru) f (jazýčnica)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: по̏га̄н f, по̀ганин m, по̀га̄нка f, па̀га̄н m
- Roman: pȍgān (sh) f, poganin (sh) m, pògānka (sh) f, pàgān (sh) m
- Slovak: pohan m, pohanka (sk) f
- Slovene: pogan (sl) m, poganka f
- Spanish: pagano (es) m, pagana (es) f
- Swedish: hedning (sv) c
- Ukrainian: язи́чник (uk) m (jazýčnyk), язи́чниця (uk) f (jazýčnycja)
- Urdu: بُت پَرَسْت m (but parast)
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uncultured or uncivilized person
- Afrikaans: barbaar, barbare pl
- Bulgarian: неве́жа (bg) m or f (nevéža)
- Danish: barbar (da) c
- Dutch: barbaar (nl) m, filistijn f
- Finnish: pakana (fi)
- French: barbare (fr) m or f, sauvage (fr) m or f
- German: Barbar (de) m, Wilder (de) m, Unzivilisierter m
- Greek: ακαλλιέργητος (el) m (akalliérgitos)
- Hungarian: barbár (hu)
- Macedonian: варвар m (varvar), варварин m (varvarin), дивјак m (divjak)
- Polish: barbarzyńca (pl) m
- Portuguese: bárbaro (pt) m
- Russian: дика́рь (ru) m (dikárʹ)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: ба̀рбар m, ба̀рба̄рка f, варварин m, варварка f
- Roman: bàrbar (sh) m, bàrbārka (sh) f, varvarin (sh) m, varvarka f
- Swedish: barbar (sv) c, vilde (sv) c
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Translations to be checked
