salus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈsa.ɫuːs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈsaː.lus]^[1]

Forms

salūs f (genitive salūtis); third declension^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *salūts, related to salvus “safe, whole”.^[1][2] De Vaan notes that salūs presupposes a verb *saluere with a participle *salūtos, from a u-stem *salu-, while salvus points to *sol(H)u̯o-, and the relation of the two is not fully clear.^[3] Wiktionary takes it from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- (“whole”).^[1]

Compare Faliscan salue (“hail”) and Oscan salavs (“safe”).^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is found from Plautus onwards,^[4] as in a slave's plea “bring my master, who is in love, safety”.^[2] Köbler also cites Ennius.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant safety and well-being, and health as opposed to illness, as Terence's “so far as it can be done without harm to his health”.^[2] It meant one's life when at risk, a citizen's civil rights, and the safety of the state, as Ennius' Fabius, who did not put rumours before the safety of the state.^[2]

It meant a means of deliverance, as Terence's “knowing all this is salvation for young men”, and Salus was a goddess of safety and welfare.^[2][5] It was used in greetings, salutem dicere, “to send greetings”, at the head of letters.^[2] In Christian Latin it was salvation.^[1][4] English salute came from its derivative salutare.^[6]

Timeline

• c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of safety and in greetings.^[2][4]
• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of the safety of the state.^[2][4]
• 190–159 BC – Terence uses it of health.^[2][4]
• late 14th century – English salute comes from its derivative salutare.^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. Safety, well-being.^[2][1]
2. Health.^[2][1]
3. One's life (when at risk).^[2]
4. Civil standing, rights.^[2]
5. The safety (of a state).^[2]
6. A means of deliverance; a refuge.^[2][1]
7. Salus: the goddess of safety.^[2][5]
8. A greeting, salutem dicere: to send greetings.^[2][1]
9. (Christian Latin) Salvation.^[1][4]

Word family

• salūtāris
• salūtifer
• salūtiger
• salūtigerulus
• salūber
• salūbritās
• salūbriter
• salūtābundus
• salūtātiō
• salūtātor
• salūtātōrius
• salūtātrīx

Related words

• salvē
• salveō
• salvus
• English salute

Usage notes

Döderlein contrasts salus, safety of life as opposed to destruction, with vita, life as opposed to death, and with sanitas, health as opposed to illness.^[7]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
4. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper