Where does “sanctuary” come from?
sanctuary (Middle English) comes from Old French saintuaire, from Latin sanctuarium, from Latin sānctus, from Latin Iacobus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος, from Ancient Greek Ἰακώβ, from Hebrew יַעֲקֹב, from Hebrew עָקֵב — heel of the foot; heel.
Ancestry of “sanctuary”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | saintuaire | sanctuary |
| 2 | Latin | sanctuarium | prince's lockbox; shrine, sanctuary; relics of a... |
| 3 | Latin | sānctus | sacred, made inviolable, having been established as sacred |
| 4 | Latin | Iacobus | Jacob; James; Saint James |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Ἰάκωβος | — |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Ἰακώβ | Jacob |
| 7 | Hebrew | יַעֲקֹב | Jacob |
| 8 | Hebrew | עָקֵב | heel of the foot; heel |