Where does “safe word” come from?
safe word (Danish) comes from English safeword, from English safe, from Middle English sauf, from Old French sauf, from Latin salvus, from Proto-Italic *salawos, from Proto-Indo-European solh₂wós, from Proto-Indo-European sōlh₂- — mercy, comfort; comfort, mercy.
safe word (Danish): safeword
Definitions
- safeword
Ancestry of “safe word”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | safeword | A word used in sadomasochistic sexual practices... |
| 2 | English | safe | Not in danger; out of harm's reach; Free from... |
| 3 | Middle English | sauf | Not having experienced harm, damage, or ill... |
| 4 | Old French | sauf | — |
| 5 | Latin | salvus | safe, saved, preserved, sound, unharmed,... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | *salawos | whole |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | solh₂wós | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sōlh₂- | mercy, comfort; comfort, mercy |