sacrilege

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

Sacrilege’s story begins in Latin: sacer meant “holy.” Holy, combined with legere (to gather, to steal). Within Latin, it grew into sacrilegium by ancient. Theft of sacred things, from sacer and legere. From there it passed into Old French as sacrilege by medieval. Carried into French for a violation of something sacred. It reached English by 1200s as sacrilege. Settled as the English word for the violation of something regarded as sacred. Today, sacrilege means a violation or disrespectful treatment of something sacred or highly valued.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient sacer "holy", holy, combined with legere (to gather, to steal).
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient sacrilegium "theft of sacred things", theft of sacred things, from sacer and legere.
3. Stage 3 · Old French · medieval sacrilege "a violation of something sacred", carried into French for a violation of something sacred.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1200s sacrilege "the violation or disrespectful treatment of something sacred", settled as the English word for the violation of something regarded as sacred.