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

salutary traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Latin salutaris

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

via Middle French salutaire

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchsalutaire—

Words derived from “salutary”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sōlh₂- →Every word from Latin salūs →Every word from Latin salutaris →