Online Etymology Dictionary

sacrament (n.): late 12c., from Old French sacrament (12c.), from Latin sacramentum "a consecrating," from sacrare "to consecrate" (see sacred); a Church Latin loan-translation of Greek mysterion "mystery."
sacramental (adj.): late 14c., from Old French sacramental or directly from Late Latin sacramentalis, from sacramentum (see sacrament). As a noun, "religious practice or object," mid-15c.
Sacramento: California city, settled 1839, named for its river (1808), from Spanish sacramento, in honor of the Holy Sacrament (see Sacrament).
sacre bleu: stereotypical French oath, 1869, from French sacré bleu, literally "holy blue," a euphemism for sacré Dieu (1768), "holy God."
sacred (adj.): c.1300, from past participle of obsolete verb sacren "to make holy" (early 13c.), from Old French sacrer (12c.), from Latin sacrare "to make sacred, consecrate," from sacer (genitive sacri) "sacred, dedicated, holy, accursed," from Old Latin saceres, which Tucker connects to base *saq- "bind, restrict, enclose, protect," explaining that "words for both 'oath' & 'curse' are regularly words of 'binding.' " But Buck merely groups it with Oscan sakrim, Umbrian sacra and calls it "a distinctive Italic group, without any clear outside connections."

Nasalized form is sancire "make sacred, confirm, ratify, ordain." Sacred cow "object of Hindu veneration," is from 1891; figurative sense of "one who must not be criticized" is first recorded 1910, reflecting Western views of Hinduism.
sacrifice (n.): mid-13c., from Old French sacrifise (12c.), from Latin sacrificium, from sacrificus "performing priestly functions or sacrifices," from sacra "sacred rites" (properly neuter plural of sacer "sacred;" see sacred) + root of facere "to do, perform" (see factitious). Latin sacrificium is glossed in Old English by ansegdniss. Sense of "something given up for the sake of another" is first recorded 1590s. Baseball sense first attested 1880.
sacrifice (v.): c.1300, "to offer something (to a deity, as a sacrifice)," from sacrifice (n.). Related: Sacrificed; sacrificing.
sacrificial (adj.): c.1600, from Latin sacrificium (see sacrifice) + -al (1). Related: Sacrificially.
sacrilege (n.): c.1300, "crime of stealing what is consecrated to God," from Old French sacrilege (12c.), from Latin sacrilegium "temple robbery," from sacrilegus "stealer of sacred things," from phrase sacrum legere "to steal sacred things," from sacrum "sacred object (from neuter singular of sacer "sacred;" see sacred) + legere "take, pick up" (see lecture (n.)). Second element is not from religion. Transferred sense of "profanation of anything held sacred" is attested from late 14c.
sacrilegious (adj.): mid-15c., from Latin sacrilegiosum, from sacrilegium (see sacrilege). As a noun, "one who commits a sacrilege," early 14c.
sacristan (n.): "officer charged with looking after the buildings and property of a church or religious house," early 14c. (late 12c. as a surname), from Medieval Latin sacristanus, from Latin sacrista, from sacer (genitive sacri) "sacred" (see sacred). Cf. sexton, which is a doublet.
sacristy (n.): "repository for sacred things," mid-15c., from Anglo-French sacrestie, from Medieval Latin sacrista, from Latin sacer "sacred" (see sacred).
sacrosanct (adj.): c.1600, from Latin sacrosanctus "protected by religious sanction," from sacro, ablative of sacrum "religious sanction" (from neuter singular of sacer "sacred") + sanctus, past participle of sancire "make sacred" (see sacred). Earlier in partially anglicized form sacro-seint (c.1500).
sacrum (n.): bone at the base of the spine, 1753, from Late Latin os sacrum "sacred bone," from Latin os "bone" + sacrum, neuter of sacer "sacred" (see sacred). Said to be so called because the bone was the part of animals that was offered in sacrifices. Translation of Greek hieron osteon. Greek hieros also can mean "strong."
sad (adj.): Old English sæd "sated," from Proto-Germanic *sathaz (cf. Old Norse saðr, Middle Dutch sat, Dutch zad, Old High German sat, German satt, Gothic saþs "satiated"), from PIE *seto- (cf. Latin satis "enough, sufficient," Old Church Slavonic sytu, Lithuanian sotus, Old Irish saith "satiety"), from root *sa- "satisfied" (cf. Sanskrit a-sinvan "insatiable").

Sense development seems to have passed through a meaning "heavy," and "weary, tired of" before emerging c.1300 as "unhappy." An alternative course would be through the common Middle English sense of "steadfast, firmly established, fixed" (e.g. sad-ware "tough pewter vessels") and "serious" to "grave." In the main modern sense, it replaced Old English unrot, negative of rot "cheerful, glad."

Slang sense of "inferior, pathetic" is from 1899; sad sack is 1920s, popularized by World War II armed forces (specifically by cartoon character invented by Sgt. George Baker, 1942, and published in U.S. Armed Forces magazine "Yank"), probably a euphemistic shortening of common military slang phrase sad sack of shit.
sadden (v.): "to make sorrowful," c.1400, from sad + -en (1). Earlier verb was simply sade, from Old English sadian. Related: Saddened; saddening.
saddle (n.): Old English sadol "seat for a rider," from Proto-Germanic *sathulaz (cf. Old Norse söðull, Old Frisian sadel, Dutch zadel, zaal, German Sattel), from PIE *sed- "to sit" (cf. Latin sedere "to sit," Old Church Slavonic sedlo "saddle;" see sedentary). Figurative phrase in the saddle "in an active position of management" is attested from 1650s. Saddleback is from 1540s.
saddle (v.): Old English sadolian "to put a riding saddle on;" see saddle (n.). The meaning "to load with a burden" is first recorded 1690s. Related: Saddled; saddling.
saddlebag (n.): 1774, from saddle (n.) + bag (n.).
saddler (n.): "maker of saddles," c.1300 (late 13c. as a surname), agent noun from saddle (n.).
Sadducee: Old English, from Late Latin Sadducaei (plural), from Greek Zaddoukaios, from Hebrew tzedoqi, from personal name Tzadhoq "Zadok" (2 Sam. viii:17), the high priest from whom the priesthood of the captivity claimed descent. According to Josephus, the sect denied the resurrection of the dead and the existence of angels and spirits; but later historians regard them as more the political party of the priestly class than a sect per se.
Sadie Hawkins: 1939, from name of character in U.S. newspaper cartoon strip "Li'l Abner," by Al Capp (1909-1979); in reference to a day in early November in which women take the lead in romantic matters.
sadism (n.): "love of cruelty," 1888, from French sadisme, from Count Donatien A.F. de Sade (1740-1815). Not a marquis, though usually now called one, he was notorious for cruel sexual practices he described in his novels.
sadist (n.): 1897 from sadism + -ist.
sadistic (adj.): 1892, after German sadistisch; see sadism. Related: Sadistically.
sadly (adv.): c.1300, "heavily," also "solidly," from sad + -ly (2). Meaning "sorrowfully" is mid-14c.
sadness (n.): early 14c., "seriousness," from sad + -ness. Meaning "sorrowfulness" is early 16c., perhaps c.1400.
sado-masochism (n.): also sadomasochism, 1916, from comb. form of sadism + masochism. Abbreviation S & M first attested 1965. An earlier word for sexualities that focused on violence was algolagnia (1900), Modern Latin, coined in German in 1892 by German doctor and paranormalist Albert von Schrenck-Notzing (1862-1929) from Greek algos "pain" + lagneia "lust."
sado-masochist (n.): also sadomasochist, 1919; from comb. form of sadist + masochist. Related: Sadomasochistic; sado-masochistic.
safari (n.): 1890 (attested from 1860 as a foreign word), from Swahili, literally "journey, expedition," from Arabic, literally "referring to a journey," from safar "journey" (which itself is attested in English as a foreign word from 1858).
safe (n.): "chest for keeping valuables," early 15c., save, from Middle French en sauf "in safety," from sauf (see safe (adj.)). Spelling with -f- first recorded 1680s, from influence of safe (adj.).
safe (adj.): late 13c., "uninjured, unharmed," from Old French sauf, from Latin salvus "uninjured, healthy, safe," related to salus "good health," saluber "healthful," all from PIE *solwos from root *sol- "whole" (cf. Latin solidus "solid," Sanskrit sarvah "uninjured, intact, whole," Avestan haurva- "uninjured, intact," Old Persian haruva-, Greek holos "whole"). Meaning "not exposed to danger" is attested from late 14c.; of actions, etc., "free from risk," first recorded 1580s. Safe-conduct (late 13c.) is from Old French sauf-conduit (13c.).
safecracker (n.): also safe-cracker, 1897, from safe (n.) + agent noun from crack (v.). Originally in reference to thieves who used dynamite.
safeguard (n.): early 15c., "protection, safety," from Middle French sauvegarde "safekeeping, safeguard" (13c.), from Old French salve, sauve (fem. of sauf; see safe) + garde "a keeping" (see guard). Meaning "something that offers security from danger" is recorded from late 15c. The verb is from late 15c. Related: Safeguarded; safeguarding.
safely (adv.): late 13c., from safe (adj.) + -ly (2).
safety (n.): c.1300, from Old French sauvete, earlier salvetet (11c.), from Medieval Latin salvitatem (nominative salvitas) "safety," from Latin salvus (see safe). Meaning "trigger-lock on a gun" is attested from 1881. As a North American football position, first recorded 1881.

Safety-pin is from 1857; safety-valve is from 1797; figurative sense recorded from 1818. Safety-net in literal sense (in machinery) by 1916, later of aerial circus performances (1920s); figurative use by 1950. Safety-first as an accident-prevention slogan first used in Britain in 1873 (said to be originally from U.S. railroads); widely used on Conservative Party election posters in 1922.
saffron (n.): c.1200, from Old French safran (12c.), from Medieval Latin safranum (cf. Italian zafferano, Spanish azafran), ultimately from Arabic za'faran, of unknown origin.
sag (v.): late 14c., possibly from a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse sokkva "to sink," or from Middle Low German sacken "to settle, sink" (as dregs in wine), from denasalized derivative of Proto-Germanic base *senkwanan "to sink" (see sink). A general North Sea Germanic word (cf. Dutch zakken, Swedish sacka, Danish sakke). Related: Sagged; sagging.
sag (n.): 1861, from sag (v.).
saga (n.): 1709, an antiquarians' revival to describe the medieval prose narratives of Iceland and Norway, from Old Norse saga "saga, story," cognate with Old English sagu "a saying" (see saw (n.2)). Properly, a narrative composition of Iceland or Norway in the Middle Ages, or one that has their characteristics.
sagacious (adj.): c.1600, from Latin sagacem (nominative sagax); see sagacity. Related: Sagaciously.
sagacity (n.): c.1500, from Old French sagacité, from Latin sagacitatem (nominative sagacitas) "quality of being acute," from sagax (genitive sagacis) "of quick perception," related to sagus "prophetic," sagire "perceive keenly," from PIE root *sag- "to track down, trace, seek" (cf. Old English secan "to seek;" see seek). Also used 17c.-18c. of animals, meaning "acute sense of smell."
sage (n.1): kind of herb (Salvia officinalis), early 14c., from Old French sauge (13c.), from Latin salvia, from salvus "healthy" (see safe). So called for its healing or preserving qualities (it was used to keep teeth clean and relieve sore gums, and boiled in water to make a drink to alleviate arthritis). In English folklore, sage, like parsley, is said to grow best where the wife is dominant.
sage (adj.): "wise," c.1300 (late 12c. as a surname), from Old French sage (11c.), from Gallo-Romance *sabius, from Vulgar Latin *sapius, from Latin sapere "have a taste, have good taste, be wise," from PIE root *sap- "to taste" (see sap (n.1)).
sage (n.2): "man of profound wisdom," mid-14c., from sage (adj.). Originally applied to the Seven Sages -- Thales, Solon, Periander, Cleobulus, Chilon, Bias, and Pittacus.
sagebrush (n.): 1852, from sage (n.) + brush (n.2). Said to be so called for resemblance of its odor.
Sage-brush is very fair fuel, but as a vegetable it is a distinguished failure. Nothing can abide the taste of it but the jackass and his illegitimate child, the mule. ["Mark Twain," "Roughing It"]
sagely (adv.): c.1400, from sage (adj.) + -ly (2).
saggy (adj.): 1853, from sag + -y (2). Related: Saggily; sagginess.
sagittal (adj.): 1540s, from Modern Latin sagittalis, from Latin sagitta "arrow" (see Sagittarius).
Sagittarius (n.): constellation, late Old English, from Latin, literally "archer," properly "pertaining to arrows," from sagitta "arrow," which probably is from a pre-Latin Mediterranean language. Meaning "person born under Sagittarius" (properly Sagittarian) is attested from 1940.