Etymologically
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sacro

Etymology and origin of the Latin word sacro

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Sallust
Ultimate origin
Latin (sacer)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈsa.kroː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsaː.kro][1]

Forms

sacrō (present infinitive sacrāre, perfect active sacrāvī, supine sacrātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Italic *sakrāō, by surface analysis sacer “sacred” with the verb suffix -ō.[1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Sallust, of consecrating to a god.[2] Köbler dates Sallust 86–34 BC.[3]

Semantic evolution

It meant to set apart for a god, consecrate, dedicate, as Cicero's laws and Virgil's ārās sacrāre, and in Livy to devote to destruction.[2][4] It meant to make an oath subject to religious sanction, as in Cicero, to bind with an oath, as in Catullus, and to give sacred status to, enshrine, as in Livy.[2] From Seneca it meant to deify, exalt, and figuratively to hallow in verse, as in Horace.[2] Döderlein explains that sacrāre and cōnsecrāre withdraw a thing from profane use, dicāre and dēdicāre devote it to a god.[5]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to consecrate, make holy.[6] Through Old French sacrer and directly from Latin it gave the Middle English verb sacren, whose participle is English sacred.[7] It survives in Spanish and Portuguese sagrar.[1]

Timeline

  • 86–34 BC – Sallust uses it of consecrating.[2][3]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of oaths.[2][3]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of devoting to destruction.[2][3]
  • late 14th century – English sacred is recorded.[7]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To consecrate, dedicate.[2]
  2. To devote to destruction.[2]
  3. To bind by a religious sanction or oath.[2]
  4. To enshrine; to deify; to hallow.[2]
  5. To make holy.[2]

Word family

  • dēsacrō
  • obsecrō
  • prosecro
  • resecrō
  • sacrāmentum
  • sacrātiō
  • sacrātor
  • cōnsecrō
  • sacrātē
  • sacrātus
  • sacer
  • sacerdōs
  • sacerdōtālis
  • sacerdōtium
  • sacerdōtula
  • sacrāmentālis
  • sacrārium
  • sacrārius
  • sacricola
  • sacrifer
  • English sacred
  • English consecrate

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  6. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Cite this entry

“Sacro.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/sacro. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·