sacrament

Where does the word "sacrament" come from? It comes from Latin sacer, passing through Latin and Old French before entering English (1200s).

Sacrament’s story begins in Latin: sacer meant “holy, consecrated.” 'sacramentum' was also a Roman soldier's oath of allegiance. Within Latin, it grew into sacramentum by ancient. An oath, a sacred obligation, from sacer. From there it passed into Old French as sacrament by medieval. Carried into French for a sacred religious rite. It reached English by 1200s as sacrament. Settled as the English word for a formal religious rite regarded as sacred. Today, sacrament means a formal Christian religious ceremony regarded as sacred, such as baptism.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient sacer "holy, consecrated", 'sacramentum' was also a Roman soldier's oath of allegiance.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient sacramentum "an oath, a sacred obligation", an oath, a sacred obligation, from sacer.
3. Stage 3 · Old French · medieval sacrament "a sacred religious rite", carried into French for a sacred religious rite.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1200s sacrament "a formal religious rite regarded as sacred", settled as the English word for a formal religious rite regarded as sacred.