Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Savage” come from?

Savage (English) comes from Middle English savage, from Old French sauvage, from Vulgar Latin salvaticus, from Latin silvāticus, from Latin -aticus, from Latin -ātus, from Proto-Italic -ātos, from Proto-Indo-European -éh₂tos.

Ancestry of “Savage”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsavagesavage, barbaric, unmannered, primitive; wild,...
2Old Frenchsauvagewild; untamed
3Vulgar Latinsalvaticus—
4Latinsilvāticus—
5Latin-aticusUsed to form adjectives indicating a relation to...
6Latin-ātus—
7Proto-Italic-ātos—
8Proto-Indo-European-éh₂tos—

Words derived from “Savage”

  • Savagean
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -éh₂tos →