Etymograph

English

safehold

safe + hold

Formed from safe + hold

Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- ‘whole’

Proto-Italic *salawos ‘whole’

Latin salvus ‘whole’

Old French sauf

Middle English sauf ‘Unaffected by or safe from injury’

English safe

Proto-Germanic *haldaną ‘to tend, herd’

Proto-West Germanic *haldan

Old English healdan

Middle English holden ‘to hold’

English hold

Today it means

noun A safe place; a refuge or stronghold.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “safehold”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / safehold

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