Savory
/ˈseɪ.və.ri/noun
Having a salty or spicy flavor rather than a sweet one.
Did you know?English got savory through Old French from Latin *sapor*, meaning “taste” or “flavor,” the same ancient root behind *sapid* and *sapience*—so taste and wisdom were once linked in the language.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sep-
“to taste, perceive by taste”
Latin
Latin
sapor
“taste, flavor, savor”
Old French
Old French
savoureux
“pleasant-tasting, flavorful”
Middle English
English
savoury
“pleasing to the taste or smell”
Modern English
English
savory
“having a salty or spicy flavor rather than a sweet one”