Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “salutary” come from?

Salutary comes from Middle French salutaire, meaning beneficial or health-promoting.

salutary (English): Effecting or designed to effect an improvement;...

Definitions

  1. Effecting or designed to effect an improvement;...

Ancestry of “salutary”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinsalutarishealthy; useful, helpful; advantageous
2Latinsalūs—
3Proto-Indo-Europeansōlh₂-mercy, comfort; comfort, mercy

Words derived from “salutary”

  • unsalutary
  • salutarily
  • salutariness
  • nonsalutary
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sōlh₂- →