sacro

sacro¹ sacred

Etymology tree of sacro¹

inherited borrowed derived

Latin sacer

Italian sacro

Romanian sacru

From the same root · sacro¹

Italian sacrare ← sacer

Latin sacrārium ← sacer

Latin sacrārius ← sacer

Latin sacrātus ← sacer

Latin sacrificō ← sacer

Latin sacrificus ← sacer

Latin sacrilegus ← sacer

Latin sacrista ← sacer

Latin sacristia ← sacer

Latin sacrum ← sacer

Pronunciation

• /ˈsa.kro/^[1]

Forms

sacro (feminine sacra, masculine plural sacri, feminine plural sacre)^[1]

Etymology

The word for “sacred” is borrowed from Latin sacer (“sacred, consecrated; accursed”), taken in its accusative form.^[2][3][4][5] DELI, Nocentini, the DEI and the GDLI treat it as a learned word, while Wiktionary calls it inherited.^[3][6][5][1] In the Romance languages the old sense “belonging to the divine” was taken over by sanctus, spread by the Church, as the DEI notes.^[6] The old variant Old Italian sagro is recorded from the 14th century.^[6][7] The same Latin word is Spanish sacro and Portuguese sacro.^[3][8]

The Latin adjective is recorded in its archaic form Latin sakros on the Forum inscription.^[9] It comes from Proto-Italic *sakros and Proto-Indo-European *sh₂krós (“sacred”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *seh₂k- (“to sanctify, to make a treaty”), which is also behind sanciō (“to ratify, to make sacred”).^[9][1] Its relatives include Oscan sakrim (“sacrificial victim”), Umbrian sakra and, perhaps, Hittite šaklāi- (“rite, custom”).^[3][10] Nocentini explains the opposed senses “consecrated” and “accursed” from the original meaning, “declared untouchable”: violating such a thing defiled both the thing and the person who touched it.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Dante is the first to use sacro (1313–1319), for what belongs to the divinity.^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

From the beginning the word had a solemn, literary ring: Dante calls his own work il poema sacro, and Petrarch addresses o sacro, avventuroso e dolce loco “O sacred, fortunate and sweet place”.^[11][12] Dante also keeps the Latin sense “accursed” in sacra fame / de l'oro “accursed hunger for gold”.^[4] Boccaccio (1348–1353) uses it for what is consecrated or dedicated, and Giusto de' Conti (before 1449) for what deserves respect and veneration.^[2] Segneri (1694) uses the noun il sacro for what is sacred.^[2]

Many fixed phrases name the things of the Church: libri sacri and Sacra Scrittura for the Bible, il sacro fonte for the font, Sacro Collegio for the cardinals, sacri bronzi for church bells.^[13][12] Sacra maestà was a title of sovereigns, held to be consecrated by God.^[4] The derivatives came separately from Latin: sacrario meant a sacristy (before 1558) and then the shrine of a temple (1559), and sacrale “sacral, of a sacred character” (1936) follows English sacral.^[2][3]

Timeline

• 1313–1319 – Dante uses sacro for what belongs to the divinity.^[2]
• 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses it for “consecrated, dedicated”.^[2]
• Before 1449 – Giusto de' Conti uses it for “worthy of veneration”.^[2]
• Before 1558 – Sacrario is recorded, first for a sacristy.^[2]
• 1694 – Segneri uses the noun il sacro.^[2]
• 1936 – Sacrale “of a sacred character” is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. sacred, holy: relating to the divine, to religion and worship: Per gli antichi quella sorgente era sacra.^[4][7][14]
2. Set aside for worship or religious rites: vasi sacri.^[4][15]
3. consecrated or dedicated to a deity, with a: La quercia era sacra a Giove.^[4][14]
4. Deserving absolute respect and veneration: Per lei la famiglia è sacra.^[4][14]
5. (historical) As an honorific title of sovereigns: sacra maestà.^[4]
6. inviolable, not to be broken; also jocular: Per me il riposo della domenica è sacro.^[4][14]
7. Inspiring awe and reverent wonder.^[4]
8. (literary) accursed, execrable.^[4]

Noun

1. il sacro: The sacred, what pertains to the divine: il sacro e il profano.^[4][2]

Word family

• sacrario
• sacrista
• sacrosanto
• sacrale
• sacrare
• consacrare
• consacrazione
• sconsacrare
• dissacrare

sacro² sacrum

Pronunciation

• /ˈsa.kro/^[1]

Forms

sacro m (plural sacri)^[1]

Etymology

The word for the bone is learned: it is borrowed from Late Latin os sacrum (“sacred bone”), a phrase of os (“bone”) and the neuter of sacer (“sacred”),^[2][3][5] which the DEI finds in Caelius Aurelianus.^[6] Italian took it as the phrase osso sacro, from which the noun alone is drawn.^[4][12]

The Latin phrase is a calque: it is from Ancient Greek ἱερὸν ὀστέον (hieròn ostéon) word for word, which DELI, Treccani and the GDLI translate as “big bone”: ἱερός (hierós) meant both “big, strong” and “sacred”.^{[2][15][5][14]} Why the bone was so named is uncertain.^[3] Nocentini thinks it most likely that the adjective meant “last, extreme” here, for the end vertebrae of the spine.^[3] The DEI suggests either that the bone holds up the entrails, ἱερά (hierá, “the entrails of sacrificial victims”), or the sense “great”.^[6] Devoto–Oli calls the name euphemistic.^[7] The same Latin name is French sacrum and Spanish hueso sacro.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Osso sacro is first recorded before 1460 in Savonarola's De regimine, for the bone at the back of the pelvis formed by five fused vertebrae.^[2][5]

Semantic evolution

The term stayed anatomical: the DEI records it in Lomazzo in the 16th century.^[6] By extension it has been used, jokingly or as a euphemism, for the backside.^[5] Modern medicine formed sacrale “of the sacrum” (1911) and sacralgia, pain in the sacrum (1922).^[2][3]

Timeline

• Before 1460 – Savonarola uses osso sacro.^[2]
• 16th century – Lomazzo uses the term.^[6]
• 1911 – Sacrale “of the sacrum” is recorded.^[2][3]
• 1922 – Sacralgia is recorded.^[2][3]

Meanings

Noun

1. (anatomy) The sacrum: the bone formed by five fused vertebrae, set between the hip bones above the coccige; usually osso sacro.^{[4][7][12][15]}
2. (comparative anatomy) In amphibians, the ninth vertebra, which joins the tenth through two projections.^[7]
3. (jocular, euphemistic) The backside.^[5]

Adjective

1. Only in osso sacro, the sacrum.^[4][1]

Word family

• osso sacro
• sacralgia