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saluber

Etymology and origin of the Latin word saluber

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
Cato
Ultimate origin
Latin (salūs)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [saˈɫuː.bɛr][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [saˈluː.ber][1]

Forms

salūber or salūbris (feminine salūbris, neuter salūbre, superlative salūberrimus, adverb salūbriter); third-declension three-termination adjective or third-declension two-termination adjective[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *salūzris, from *salūzlis, from the stem of salūs “health, safety” with the suffix -lis, dissimilated to ⟨r⟩ as in celeber and fūnebris.[1][2][3] The masculine nominative has two forms, ending in ⟨-ber⟩ or ⟨-bris⟩.[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's first citation is Cato, of what is healthful.[2] Köbler dates Cato 234–149 BC.[5]

Semantic evolution

It meant conducive to health, wholesome, salubrious, as Cicero's healthy site, and of seasons healthy.[2][4] Of the body it meant healthy, sound, as in Sallust.[2] Figuratively it meant salutary, beneficial, as in Cicero.[2] Varro and Ovid use the form salūber.[2][4] Döderlein says salūs is existence and safety, sānitās health.[6]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant wholesome, useful, healthful, salutary.[7] It survives in French, Italian and Spanish salubre.[1] English salubrious was borrowed in the 1540s.[3]

Timeline

  • 234–149 BC – Cato uses it of healthful things.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero uses it of a healthy site and salutary measures.[2][4][5]
  • 86–34 BC – Sallust uses it of a healthy body.[2][5]
  • 1540s – English salubrious is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Healthful, wholesome, salubrious.[2]
  2. (of the body) Healthy, sound.[2]
  3. Salutary, beneficial.[2]

Word family

  • īnsalūbris

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 Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  5. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper
  7. ^ Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
Cite this entry

“Saluber.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/saluber. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·