An exclamation of praise, thanksgiving, or joy, expressing gratitude to God; a variant spelling of hallelujah.
From Hebrew 'hallel' (praise) + 'jah' (God, a shortened form of Yahweh), originating in biblical Hebrew. This spelling variant became common in English during the 17th-18th centuries through religious texts and Handel's famous 'Hallelujah' chorus.
Handel's 'Hallelujah' chorus from Messiah is so famous that when it plays, people stand up—and this tradition supposedly started because King George II jumped up when he heard it, and courtiers had to follow suit, making it the most powerful concert etiquette rule ever created by accident.
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