Etymologically
Log in

sanctifico

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the Latin word sanctifico

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
c. 160–220 AD, Tertullian
Ultimate origin
Latin sānctus,faciō
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin sanctus
French saint
Italian santo
Latin sanctifico
From the same root
Italian si ← sanctus
Latin sancte ← sanctus
Latin sanctitas ← sanctus
Latin sanctuarium ← sanctus

Pronunciation

  • Classical: [saːŋkˈtɪ.fɪ.koː][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [saŋkˈtiː.fi.ko][1]

Forms

sānctificō (present infinitive sānctificāre, perfect active sānctificāvī, supine sānctificātum); first conjugation[1]

Etymology

It is from Latin sānctus (“holy”) + faciō (“to make”), a Christian formation.[1][2][3] Georges and Gaffiot derive it from the adjective sānctificus (“making holy”).[4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Its first author is Tertullian,[2][5][6] who uses it in the sense “to sanctify, make holy”.[5][6]

Semantic evolution

It belongs to Ecclesiastical Latin.[2][4] Besides making or treating something as holy, it meant to consecrate or dedicate a thing to sacred use,[1][6] and to hallow a name by proclaiming it holy, as in the Lord's Prayer of the Vulgate: sanctificetur nomen tuum (“hallowed be thy name”).[6] It also came to mean to purify from sin[1] and to make something inviolable.[7]

English took it over through Old French saintefier as sanctify in the late 14th century.[3]

Timeline

  • c. 160–220 AD – Tertullian uses it for making holy.[2][5][8]
  • 348/49–c. 413 AD – Prudentius uses it in his Cathemerinon.[2][8]
  • 390–406 AD – The Vulgate uses it for consecrating and for hallowing God's name.[6][8]
  • late 14th century – Borrowed into English, through Old French, as sanctify.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To make holy, sanctify; to treat as holy.[2][7][5]
  2. To consecrate, dedicate, set apart for sacred use.[1][6]
  3. To proclaim holy, glorify: sanctificetur nomen tuum (Vulgate, Matthew 6:9), “hallowed be thy name”.[6]
  4. To purify, free from sin.[1]
  5. To make acceptable under religious law or practice; to make inviolable.[1][7]

Word family

  • sānctificātiō
  • sānctificātor
  • sānctificium

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  5. ^ a b c d e Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Conte, Gian Biagio; Pianezzola, Emilio; Ranucci, Giuliano (2010), il Latino: Vocabolario della lingua latina, 3rd ed., Florence: Le Monnier
  7. ^ a b c Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  8. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
Cite this entry

“Sanctifico.” Etymologically, 24 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/sanctifico. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·