English
sauce
Sauce comes from Old French sause ‘sauce (condiment)’, from Latin salsus ‘salted’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sḗh₂l ‘salt’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sḗh₂l‘salt’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sāls‘salt’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsāl‘salt’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsaliō‘to salt’next step skipped: Latin sallō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsalsus‘salted’past participle of saliō
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*salsareconstructednoun use of feminine of salsus
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sause‘sauce (condiment)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sauce‘a sauce or gravy’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1587same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sḗh₂l‘salt’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sāls‘salt’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsāl‘salt’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsaliō‘to salt’next step skipped: Latin sallō
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsalsus‘salted’past participle of saliō
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*salsareconstructednoun use of feminine of salsus
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sause‘sauce (condiment)’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sauce‘a sauce or gravy’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1587same form
Earliest quotation: a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., (please specify the folio): “Then fell she to sauce her desires with threatenings.”
The story
For the meaning development compare Ancient Greek ἥδυσμα (hḗdusma) ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swéh₂dus (whence also English sweet).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sḗh₂l ‘salt’
through Latin sāl ‘salt’
salary, cellar, sal, saline, salami, salina, 13 more
through Latin saliō ‘to salt’
result, salt, salad, salmon, sally, resilient, resilience, salient, resiliency, salacious, exultant, sauté, salience, 27 more
through Latin salsus ‘salted’
through Vulgar Latin *salsa
Today it means
noun A liquid (often thickened) condiment or accompaniment to food.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sḗh₂l / sauce