Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Sanctus” come from?

Sanctus derives from Latin sanctus, past participle of Latin sancio, both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European seh₂k-, meaning to sanctify or consecrate.

Ancestry of “Sanctus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinsānctus—
2LatinIacobusJacob; James; Saint James
3Ancient GreekἸάκωβος—
4Ancient GreekἸακώβ—
5HebrewיַעֲקֹבJacob
6Hebrewעָקֵבheel of the foot; heel
Every word from Hebrew עָקֵב →