Where does “vouchsafe” come from?
Vouchsafe derives from Middle English vouchsafen, blending Old French voucher (to vouch) with safe, ultimately tracing through Latin vocare (to call) and Latin salvus (safe).
vouchsafe (English): To graciously give, to condescendingly grant a...
Definitions
- To graciously give, to condescendingly grant a...
Ancestry of “vouchsafe”, step by step
vouchsafe traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English vouch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | vouch | To take responsibility for; to express confidence... |
| 2 | Middle English | vouchen | — |
| 3 | Old French | vochier | to call; to summon; to claim; to denounce |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | *vocico | — |
| 5 | Latin | vocō | to call, summon, beckon (with one's voice) |
| 6 | Latin | vōx | voice |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | wōks | voice |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wṓkʷs | voice, speech |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wekʷ- | to speak, to sound out |
via English safe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | safe | Not in danger; out of harm's reach; Free from... |
| 2 | Middle English | sauf | Not having experienced harm, damage, or ill... |
| 3 | Old French | sauf | — |
| 4 | Latin | salvus | safe, saved, preserved, sound, unharmed,... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | *salawos | whole |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | solh₂wós | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sōlh₂- | mercy, comfort; comfort, mercy |