Save
/seɪv/noun
To keep safe from harm, loss, or danger; also to rescue or preserve.
Did you know?English save comes through Old French from Latin salvare, tied to salus—“health,” “safety,” and even “well-being,” which is why save and salvation are ancient linguistic cousins.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*solh-
“to be whole, well, safe”
Latin
Latin
salvus
“safe, unharmed, in good health”
Latin
Latin
salvāre
“to make safe, preserve, deliver”
Old French
Old French
sauver
“to save, rescue”
Middle English
English
saven
“to save, preserve, deliver”
Modern English
English
save
“to keep safe from harm, loss, or danger”
Explore more surprising origins