Where does “sacred” come from?
sacred (Middle English) comes from Middle English sacren, from Old French sacrer, from Latin sacrō, from Latin sacer, from Proto-Indo-European sh₂krós, from Proto-Indo-European seh₂k- — sacred.
Ancestry of “sacred”, step by step
sacred traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English sacren
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sacren | To consecrate, especially with reference to the... |
| 2 | Old French | sacrer | to consecrate, anoint, dedicate; to hallow |
| 3 | Latin | sacrō | to declare or set apart as sacred; consecrate, dedicate, hallow or devote; sanctify, enshrine |
| 4 | Latin | sacer | sacred, holy, dedicated (to a divinity), consecrated, hallowed |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sh₂krós | sacred |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | seh₂k- | sacred |
via Middle English sakeren
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sakeren | to make holy, hallow |