Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “sauf” come from?

sauf (Middle English) comes from Old French sauf, from Latin salvus, from Proto-Italic *salawos, from Proto-Indo-European solh₂wós, from Proto-Indo-European sōlh₂- — mercy, comfort; comfort, mercy.

sauf (Middle English): Not having experienced harm, damage, or ill...

Definitions

  1. Not having experienced harm, damage, or ill...

Ancestry of “sauf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchsauf—
2Latinsalvussafe, saved, preserved, sound, unharmed,...
3Proto-Italic*salawos—
4Proto-Indo-Europeansolh₂wós—
5Proto-Indo-Europeansōlh₂-mercy, comfort; comfort, mercy

Words derived from “sauf”

  • safe
  • safely
  • safer
  • unsafe
  • salve
  • vouchsafe
  • safekeeping
  • safehouse
  • safeness
  • safelight
  • unsafely
  • safecracker
  • safecracking
  • vouchsafeth
  • safeword
  • threadsafe
  • ultrasafe
  • safener
  • unsafeness
  • vouchsafest
  • supersafe
  • vouchsafement
  • safebreaker
  • websafe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sōlh₂- →