Etymologically
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sanctifico

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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