"S" Word Origins

Saturn

Latin

From Latin Saturnus, the Roman god of agriculture, possibly rooted in an Etruscan word and later linked by folk association to the Latin verb serere, "to sow."

saturnalia

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin Sāturnālia.

saturnine

Origin

From Middle English saturnine, satournine, satournyne, saturnin, saturnyn, saturnyne (“pertaining to or under the influence of the planet Saturn; line on the palm of the hand associated with Saturn”), from Old French saturnine, saturnin (modern French saturnin (“of, pertaining to, resembling or containing lead, plumbic”)), or directly from its etymon Medieval Latin Sāturnīnus, from Sāturnus (“the Roman god Saturn; the planet Saturn”) + -īnus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’); analysable as Saturn + -ine. The English word is cognate with Italian saturnino (“saturnine”), Portuguese saturnino (“melancholy, saturnine; pertaining to the planet Saturn”), Spanish saturnino (“melancholy, saturnine; pertaining to the planet Saturn”). Sense 1 (“having a tendency to be cold, bitter, gloomy, etc.”) refers to the fact that individuals born under the astrological influence of the planet Saturn were believed to have that disposition.

Satya

Sanskrit

From Sanskrit सत्य (satya, "truth").

satyr

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek saturos, the name of the mythological creature.

satyriasis

Origin

Borrowed from Late Latin satyriasis, from Ancient Greek σατυρίασις (saturíasis).

sauce

Latin

From Old French sause, from Latin salsus, "salted" — sauces were originally valued as a way of adding salt and flavor to plain food.

saucepan

Origin

A straightforward combination of "sauce" and "pan," describing a pan originally used for making sauces.

saucer

Old French

From Old French saussier, originally a dish for holding sauce, which is also the root of the word "sauce."

saucy

Origin

From "sauce" plus the adjective ending "-y" — someone "saucy" has a bit of spice or bite to their manner.

saudade

Portuguese

A Portuguese noun with no exact English equivalent; its earlier history is disputed, though it is often traced to Latin solitatem "solitude".

Saudi

Arabic

From Arabic, referring to the House of Saud, the royal family that founded and rules the country.

sauerkraut

German

Borrowed directly from German, literally "sour cabbage" — from sauer ("sour") and Kraut ("cabbage").

Saul

Latin

From Hebrew שָׁאַל, meaning "asked for" or "prayed for," via Greek Saoúl and Latin Saul.

sauna

Origin

Borrowed from Finnish sauna, where the tradition originates.

Saunders

Origin

Compare Middle English saundres.

saunter

Origin

Etymology unclear. Attested in the sense “to stroll” from the 1660s; noun sense “a stroll” attested 1828. Likely from earlier term meaning “to muse”, late 15th century, from late Middle English santren, of unknown origin. Competing theories exist: * From Anglo-Norman sauntrer (mid 14th century), from Middle French s'aventurer (“to take risks”); however, this is considered unlikely by the OED. Compare Middle English aunter (“adventure”). * Of Germanic origin, with proposed cognates including German schlendern, Dutch slenteren, Danish slentre, Swedish släntra, and Icelandic slentur, all meaning “to stroll”. * From Old French sentier (“path”). In this case, santren would reflect earlier *sa(u)nteren, *senteren /sa(u̯)nˈteːrən/, /sɛnˈteːrən/, with Late Middle English stress shift and concomitant vowel reduction. Various fanciful folk etymologies have also been given.

Sauron

Origin

Coined by Tolkien in his invented Elvish language Quenya, from a root meaning "foul" or "putrid."

sausage

Late Latin

From Anglo-Norman sausiche, tracing back to Late Latin salsīcia, meaning "seasoned with salt" — from the same root as "salt."

sauté

French

From French sauté, the past participle of sauter, meaning to jump, because the food is tossed and made to jump in the pan.

Sauvage

French

Borrowed from French Sauvage.

sav

Origin

A clipped, shortened form of "saveloy."

Sava

Origin

From the Serbo-Croatian name Sava.

savage

Latin

From Old French sauvage ("wild, untamed"), ultimately from Latin silvāticus, "of the woods," from silva, "forest."

savagely

Origin

From "savage" plus the adverb ending "-ly."

savagery

Origin

From "savage" plus the noun ending "-ry."

savanna

Spanish

From Spanish sabana, itself borrowed from a Taíno word describing open grassland.

Savannah

Origin

The places are named after the Savannah River, whose name likely comes from a Native American word.

savant

Latin

Borrowed from French savant, "learned person," from Latin sapiō, "to be wise." The narrower "gifted talent" sense comes from the older term idiot savant.

save

Late Latin

From Old French sauver, from Late Latin salvāre, "to save," related to Latin salvus, "safe."

saver

Origin

From "save" plus the agent-noun ending "-er."

savin

Latin

From Old French savine, ultimately from Latin sabīna.

saving

Origin

From "save" plus the "-ing" ending.

Savino

Italian

Borrowed from Italian Savino.

savior

Late Latin

From Old French sauveour, from Late Latin salvātor, "one who saves."

Savitri

Sanskrit

Borrowed from Sanskrit सावित्री (sāvitrī).

savorless

Origin

From Middle English savourles; equivalent to savor + -less.

savory

Latin

From Old French savouré, ultimately from Latin sapor, "taste, flavour."

savour

Latin

From Old French saveur, from Latin sapor, "taste, flavour."

savourily

Origin

From savoury + -ly.

Savoy

Late Latin

From the historical region of Savoy in the Alps, via French Savoie, from Late Latin Sapaudia.

savvy

Latin

From a pidgin form of "know," ultimately from Portuguese/Spanish saber, "to know," from Latin sapere, "to taste, to know."

saw

Old English

From Old English saga/sagu, from a Germanic root related to "cutting" — the "old saying" sense comes from a separate Old English word meaning "speech."

Sawant

Origin

Borrowed from Marathi सावंत (sāvanta).

sawdust

Origin

A compound of "saw" and "dust."

sawmill

Origin

A compound of "saw" and "mill."

sawyer

Middle English

From Middle English sawyer, formed from "saw" plus the occupational ending "-yer."

sax

Old English

The musical sense is a clipping of "saxophone"; the older Old English root seax meant "a knife or short blade."