To Make Holy — The Word ‘Sacrifice’

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac.’ — Hebrews 11 : 17

The word ‘sacrifice’ comes from Latin ‘sacrificium’, from ‘sacer’ meaning ‘holy’ and ‘facere’ meaning ‘to make’. It first meant ‘to make something holy’. The Greek verb ‘προσφέρω’ means ‘to bring toward’ or ‘to offer’, describing the same act of bringing a gift near to God. Across Europe, related words—German ‘opfern’, French ‘offrir’, Spanish ‘ofrecer’—keep that sense of offering or dedication.

The photograph shows sheep grazing near the river mouth at Cuckmere Haven, East Sussex. It recalls the moment Abraham offered a ram in place of Isaac, and the later image of Jesus as the Lamb of God—both bound to the same ancient word for offering made holy.

Each word card set begins with an image that captures the theme of the word. The following cards trace its story: a main word card (or two, if extended), a junior version with a paler border, an etymological breakdown showing how the word travelled through time, and a list of sources. Some sets also include cards for related words or translations across other languages. Together they show where each word came from, how it changed, and what it still carries with it.