Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “salve” come from?

Salve comes from Latin salvus, meaning "safe" or "whole," which also gave rise to the Latin verb salvare meaning "to save."

salve (English): An ointment, cream, or balm with soothing,...

Definitions

  1. An ointment, cream, or balm with soothing,...

Ancestry of “salve”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishsalveAlternative form of sauf
2Old Englishsealfsalve
3Proto-West Germanicsalbusalve, ointment
4Proto-Germanicsalbōsalve, ointment
5Proto-Indo-Europeansolp-éh₂—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanselp-fat, oil

Words derived from “salve”

  • salvelike
Every word from Proto-Indo-European selp- →