Where does “safer” come from?
Safer comes from English safe, which derives from Middle English safe and sauf, both from Latin salvus meaning "unharmed" or "whole."
safer (English): comparative form of safe: more safe
Definitions
- comparative form of safe: more safe
Ancestry of “safer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | safe | Not in danger; out of harm's reach; Free from... |
| 2 | Middle English | sauf | Not having experienced harm, damage, or ill... |
| 3 | Old French | sauf | — |
| 4 | Latin | salvus | safe, saved, preserved, sound, unharmed,... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | *salawos | whole |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | solh₂wós | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sōlh₂- | mercy, comfort; comfort, mercy |