Where does “sanctuary” come from?
Sanctuary comes from Middle English sanctuary, from Old French saintuaire, from Latin sanctuarium, a place for sacred things, derived from Latin sanctus meaning holy.
sanctuary (English): A place of safety, refuge, or protection; An area...
Definitions
- A place of safety, refuge, or protection; An area...
Ancestry of “sanctuary”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | seyntuarie | — |
| 2 | Old French | saintuaire | sanctuary |
| 3 | Latin | sanctuarium | prince's lockbox; shrine, sanctuary; relics of a... |
| 4 | Latin | sānctus | sacred, made inviolable, having been established as sacred |
| 5 | Latin | Iacobus | Jacob; James; Saint James |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Ἰάκωβος | — |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | Ἰακώβ | Jacob |
| 8 | Hebrew | יַעֲקֹב | Jacob |
| 9 | Hebrew | עָקֵב | heel of the foot; heel |