Etymograph

English

santo

Santo comes from Spanish santo ‘holy, godly’, from Old Spanish santo ‘sacred’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂k-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₂k-‘to make sacred’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sankiō‘to consecrate’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*sanktosreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsānctus‘sacred, made inviolable, having been established as sacred’
  5. Old Spanishc. 950–1500sancto
  6. Old Spanish, derivedc. 950–1500santo‘sacred’
  7. Spanishc. 1500–presentsame form‘holy, godly’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1972same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₂k-‘to make sacred’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sankiō‘to consecrate’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*sanktosreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsānctus‘sacred, made inviolable, having been established as sacred’
  5. Old Spanishc. 950–1500sancto
  6. Old Spanish, derivedc. 950–1500santo‘sacred’
  7. Spanishc. 1500–presentsame form‘holy, godly’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1972same form

Earliest quotation: 1972, Shirley Glubok: “A santo may get a new coat of paint…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *seh₂k- ‘to make sacred’

consecration, sacrilege, consecrate, sacramental, 11 more

through Proto-Italic *sankiō ‘to consecrate’

sanction, 4 more

through Latin sānctus ‘sacred, made inviolable, having been…’

saint, sanctuary, sanctity, sanctum, sanctification, 5 more

Today it means

noun A wooden or ivory statue of a saint, angel or other religious figure, found in Spain and former Spanish colonies.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *seh₂k- / santo

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