Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “sake” come from?

sake (Middle English) comes from Old English sacu, from Proto-Germanic sakō, from Proto-Indo-European seh₂g- — to seek out.

sake (Middle English): cause, reason; sake, cause

Definitions

  1. cause, reason; sake, cause

Ancestry of “sake”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishsacudispute, strife, contention; crime, sin
2Proto-Germanicsakōquarrel; charge, case, lawsuit; thing, matter
3Proto-Indo-Europeanseh₂g-to seek out

Words derived from “sake”

  • sake
  • namesake
  • keepsake
  • keepsake
Every word from Proto-Indo-European seh₂g- →