Refuge
/ˈrɛf.juːdʒ/noun
A place, state, or condition providing safety or shelter from danger, distress, or difficulty.
Did you know?In ancient Rome, a refugium was a sacred asylum—often a temple or grove—where even the guilty could flee pursuers under divine protection, halting bloody vengeance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰeug-
“to flee, run away”
Classical Latin
Lat
fugere
“to flee, escape, take to flight”
Classical Latin
Lat
refugium
“place of flight, refuge, asylum”
Old French
OF
refuge
“shelter, protection from danger”
Middle English
ME
refuge
“shelter or protection from harm”
Modern English
Eng
refuge
“safe place or state from pursuit or distress”
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