Where does “safety” come from?

Safety derives from Old French sauveté, from Old French salvetet, from Medieval Latin salvitas meaning "state of being saved or safe."

safety (English): The condition or feeling of being safe; security;...

Definitions

  1. The condition or feeling of being safe; security;...

Ancestry of “safety”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishsaveteSafety, security; being unharmed or unharmable
2Old Frenchsauveté—
3Medieval Latinsalvitas—
4Latinsalvussafe, saved, preserved, sound, unharmed,...
5Proto-Italic*salawoswhole
6Proto-Indo-Europeansolh₂wós—
7Proto-Indo-Europeansōlh₂-mercy, comfort; comfort, mercy

Words derived from “safety”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sōlh₂- →