Biblical Word Etymology
The Etymology of “Pilgrimage”
The biblical word “Pilgrimage” traces back to Hebrew / Greek (hag (Hebrew), haj/hodege (Greek)), where it meant “A journey to a sacred place, especially the three annual festivals requiring presence at the Jerusalem temple”. Across 3eras it evolved into the modern sense: “A journey to a sacred or historically significant place undertaken for spiritual reasons; any long journey”.
How the Meaning Evolved
Ancient Hebrew/Greek
Hebrew / Greekhag (Hebrew), haj/hodege (Greek)A journey to a sacred place, especially the three annual festivals requiring presence at the Jerusalem temple
Hebrew hag (H2282) denotes the feast pilgrimages to Jerusalem (Exodus 23:14-17). Greek hodege from hodos (journey) in the sense of sacred journeys.
Medieval Latin / Church
LatinperegrinatioA religious journey undertaken to a shrine or holy site as an act of penance or devotion
Latin peregrinus (foreign) combined with -atio. Medieval pilgrimage culture developed elaborate routes to Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela.
Modern English
EnglishpilgrimageA journey to a sacred or historically significant place undertaken for spiritual reasons; any long journey
From Old French pelegrinage via Latin. Applied to journeys like those to shrines, religious sites, or metaphorically to spiritual journeys (Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress).