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sacred

Etymology and origin of the English word sacred

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
c. 1380
Ultimate origin
Latin (sacer)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈseɪkɹɪd/, /ˈseɪkɚd/[1]

Etymology

It is the past participle of the obsolete verb Middle English sacren (“to make holy, consecrate”),[2][3][4][5] from Old French sacrer (“to consecrate, anoint”) or directly sacrāre (“to make sacred”), from sacer (“sacred, dedicated; accursed”),[2][3][6] related to sancīre (“to make sacred”).[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Of the Eucharist, consecrated: about 1380 in Barnhart and the OED;[2][7] hallowed or made holy, the late 14th century in Etymonline.[3] The verb sacren is from probably before 1200.[2]

Semantic evolution

MWH notes that Latin sacer also meant accursed, as in Virgil's auri sacra fames, but only the holy sense passed into the verb, and that Old French sacrer was used especially for crowning a king.[6] The OED observes that the idea of a participle soon disappeared from sacred.[3] Set apart for religious use is from 1412–20,[7] and dedicated to some person or purpose from 1667.[7] Sacred books are from 1593,[7] and sacred animals and plants from 1783.[7] The sacred cow, someone or something beyond criticism, is American journalists' slang from 1910.[2]

Timeline

  • before 1200 – the verb sacren.[2]
  • c. 1380 – consecrated.[2][7]
  • 1593 – sacred books.[7]
  • 1910 – sacred cow.[2]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Connected with God or a god, or dedicated to a religious purpose; holy.
  2. Regarded with great respect and reverence.
  3. Protected from violation or criticism: nothing is sacred.
  4. Dedicated to a person or purpose: sacred to the memory of.

Word family

  • sacredly
  • sacredness
  • nonsacred
  • pseudosacred
  • semisacred
  • unsacred
  • sacred bamboo
  • sacred baboon

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b Merriam-Webster's Book of Word Histories, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Sacred.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/sacred. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·