alleluia

From Latin allēlūia, from Ancient Greek ἀλληλούϊα (allēloúïa), from Hebrew הַלְּלוּיָהּ (“Praise Jah!”).

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alleluia

1. A liturgical or variant form of hallelujah.

alleluia (plural alleluias)

1. A liturgical form of hallelujah.
2. (music) A choral composition incorporating alleluia in its text.
   • 1953 December, Hortense Calisher, “A Christmas Carillon: A Story”, in John Fischer, editor, Harper’s Magazine, volume 207, number 1243, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 38, column 1:

     Down at the corner, carols bugled steamily from a mission soup-kitchen. There's no escape from it, he thought. Turn on the radio, and its alleluia licks you with tremolo tongue.

3. The plant wood sorrel.

alleluia (third-person singular simple present alleluias, present participle alleluiaing, simple past and past participle alleluiaed)

1. Alternative spelling of hallelujah.

From Latin allēlūia, from Ancient Greek ἀλληλούϊα (allēloúïa), from Biblical Hebrew הַלְּלוּיָהּ (“Praise Jah!”).

alleluia

1. (Christianity, Judaism) "hallelujah"! "God be praised"!

   Questo è il giorno che ha fatto il Signore, alleluia!

   This is the day of the Lord's making, oh hallelujah!

3. A release of exasperation at the end of an unpleasant or strenuous experience: "goodness gracious, finally!", "at last, for once!"; "thank God!"

   Synonyms: grazie a Dio, evviva, finalmente, Dio mio, Deo gratias

   Alleluia! Ce n'è voluto per fartelo capire...

   Finally, goodness gracious! Has toil been necessary to get you to understand [it]...

   È finito quel film terribile, alleluia...

   That terrible film is over [finally], thank God...

When used in sense 2 ("thank God!"), the word is pronounced with an exasperated, exhausted tone to match the meaning.

alleluia m (invariable)

1. hallelujah

• alleluiare
• alleluiatico

• aleluya

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Borrowed from which language”)

Ultimately from Hebrew הַלְּלוּיָהּ (“Praise Jah!”).

alleluia

1. hallelujah