bless Look up bless at Dictionary.com
O.E. bletsian, bledsian, Northumbrian bloedsian "to consecrate, make holy, give thanks," from P.Gmc. *blothisojan "mark with blood," from *blotham "blood" (see blood). Originally a blood sprinkling on pagan altars. This word was chosen in O.E. bibles to translate L. benedicere and Gk. eulogein, both of which have a ground sense of "to speak well of, to praise," but were used in Scripture to translate Heb. brk "to bend (the knee), worship, praise, invoke blessings." Meaning shifted in late O.E. toward "pronounce or make happy," by resemblance to unrelated bliss. No cognates in other languages.