Etymograph

English

savory

Savory comes from Old French savour ‘taste’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *sep-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sep-‘to taste, to try out’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sapjō‘to taste’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsapiō‘taste of, have a flavour of’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsapōrem
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400savour‘taste’
  6. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400savouré
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500savourie
  8. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500savory
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1981same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sep-‘to taste, to try out’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sapjō‘to taste’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsapiō‘taste of, have a flavour of’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsapōrem
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400savour‘taste’
  6. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400savouré
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500savourie
  8. Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500savory
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1981same form

Earliest quotation: 1981, Alexander Wilson, The New Right Attacks Childhood Sexuality: A Canadian Perspe: “The ruthless practices of the Ontario Film Censor Board…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *sep- ‘to taste, to try out’

sepulchre, sapling, 14 more

through Latin sapiō ‘taste of, have a flavour of’

sage, savvy, sapiens, insipid, savant, savour, sapient, sabe, 13 more

Another origin of savory

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsatureia‘savory, a pot herb’uncertain
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150sæþerieuncertain
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500saverey
  4. Englishtodaysavory

From Middle English saverey, possibly from Old English sæþerie, from Latin satureia, influenced by or via Old French savereie.

Today it means

adj Tasty, attractive to the palate.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sep- / savory

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