salutare

salutare¹ healthy

Etymology tree of salutare¹

inherited borrowed derived

Latin salutaris

Italian salutare

Pronunciation

• /sa.luˈta.re/^[4]

Forms

salutare m or f by sense (plural salutari)^[4]

Etymology

The adjective is borrowed from Latin salūtāris (“healthful; saving”), a learned word, from salūs (“health; safety”), the source of salute.^{[1][2][3][5][6]} The Latin noun is related to salvus (“safe, sound”).^[1] In Late and Medieval Latin the neuter salūtāre also meant “salvation”, and the adjective was a name of the Saviour.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is in Iacopo Passavanti (1354), in the sense “that saves from dangers”; the sense “health-giving, good for the health” is first recorded in Cristoforo Landino (1476).^[1][3]

Semantic evolution

In the 14th century the word also served as a noun for the Saviour, in Cavalca.^[8] Older Italian called medicine l'arte salutare.^[9][10] Lawyers called certain clauses salutari, and Tommaseo refers to the sanatoria.^[9] Today it is used of what is good for health, a climate or a cure, and figuratively of a lesson or a warning that helps.^[3][11][12]

Timeline

• 1354 – Passavanti uses salutare “saving from danger”.^[1]
• 1476 – Cristoforo Landino uses it for “health-giving”.^[1]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Healthful, good for the health, having healing properties: un'aria salutare.^[3][11][12]
2. (figurative) Useful, beneficial, that helps one to reach a good result or to mend one's ways: Quella bocciatura è stata una lezione salutare.^[3][11][5]

Word family

• salutarmente

salutare² to greet

Etymology tree of salutare²

inherited borrowed derived

Latin saluto

French saluer

Italian salutare

From the same root · salutare²

Latin consaluto ← saluto

Latin salutatio ← saluto

Pronunciation

• /sa.luˈta.re/^[4]

Forms

salutare (first-person singular present salùto, first-person singular past historic salutài, past participle salutàto, auxiliary avére)^[4]

Etymology

The verb is inherited from Latin salūtō (“to greet; to wish health; to visit”), from salūs (“health, safety”).^{[1][2][3][12]} The Latin verb is recorded throughout antiquity, from Naevius on, and every Romance branch except Vegliote continues it, so DÉRom reconstructs */saˈlut-a-/ for Proto-Romance.^[13] The same verb is French saluer, Occitan saludar, Catalan saludar, Spanish saludar, Portuguese saudar and Sardinian saludare; Romanian săruta means “to kiss”, and Old Spanish too had that sense.^[2][14][15]

Benveniste explained the Latin verb as delocutive, “to wish someone health by saying the word”;^[1] DELI notes doubts about this, since Latin does not seem to have had such a greeting, with Mignot and Létoublon.^[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI's first record is in Bono Giamboni's Libro de' vizî e delle virtudi (before 1292), for greeting someone one meets or leaves, and the reflexive salutarsi “to greet each other” is in the same text.^[1] The Novellino has the verb at the end of the 13th century.^[1]

Semantic evolution

In the early lyric, Sicilian and stilnovo poetry above all, the lady's greeting was also her “health”, the salvation and courtesy her look gave the lover.^[7] Dante's sonnet in the Vita nuova begins “Tanto gentile e tanto onesta pare / la donna mia quand'ella altrui saluta” (“So gentle and so honest my lady seems when she greets others”).^[7] Old Italian also used the infinitive as a noun, il salutare “the greeting”, which Dante says contained all his bliss.^[9][15]

The sense “to proclaim, to hail as” is in Boccaccio (1348–1353), and “to welcome with joy or applause” in Annibal Caro (before 1566).^[1] The noun saluto is a deverbal noun of the verb; the closing formula cordiali saluti in letters is recent.^[1] The military salute, with the right hand raised to the peak of the cap, is recorded from 1864.^[1]

Timeline

• Before 1292 – Bono Giamboni uses salutare and salutarsi.^[1]
• 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses it for “to proclaim, to hail”.^[1]
• Before 1566 – Annibal Caro uses it for “to welcome with joy”.^[1]
• 1864 – Saluto militare is recorded in Guerrazzi.^[1]

Meanings

Verb

1. To greet someone one meets, with words or gestures of friendship or respect: Mi ha salutato con un cenno della mano.^[3][11][12]
2. To say goodbye to someone, to take one's leave: Siamo andati all'aeroporto a salutarla.^[3][5][4]
3. To give someone's regards to a third person: Salutami tuo fratello.^[3][11][5]
4. (military) To salute in the regulation way: salutare la bandiera.^[3][12][16]
5. To pay a short visit to someone: Domani passo a salutarvi.^[3][12][16]
6. (figurative) To leave an activity, a place or a person for good: Dopo vent'anni ha salutato il calcio.^[3][11]
7. To welcome with applause, joy or disapproval: La squadra è stata salutata da un lungo applauso.^[12][16][5]
8. (literary) To acclaim someone as holder of an office.^[12][1]

Word family

• saluto
• risalutare
• salutamento