Etymologically
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salus

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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
  • 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