saveour

Middle English

Alternative forms

• safeoure, salveour, sauveor, sauveour, sauveur, saveor, saveoure, saveur, savior, saviur, savyore, savyouer, savyour, savyoure, savyowre, sawiowre
• salver, sauver, sauvour, savare, saver, savere, savour (contraction)

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French sauveor, salveor, from Latin salvātor; equivalent to saven +‎ -our. Doublet of salvatour.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌsaːveːˈuːr/, /ˌsaːviˈuːr/, /ˈsaːvjur/, /ˌsau̯-/
• (contracted) IPA^(key): /saːˈvuːr/, /ˈsaːvur/, /sau̯-/

Noun

saveour

1. A saviour or deliverer; one who rescues from harm.
2. (theology) A salvific religious figure, especially Jesus.
   • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎, published c. 1410, Tymothe ·i· 2:3-4, folio 83, recto, column 2; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:

     […] foꝛ þıs þıng ıs good ⁊ acceptıd bıfoꝛe god oure ſauyour .· þat wole þ^t alle mẽ bẽ maad ſaaf · / ⁊ þat þeı come to þe knowyng of treuþe ·

     […] since this practice is laudable and pleasing towards God, our Saviour, who wants everyone to have safety and that they come to knowledge of the truth.

3. (by extension) A communion wafer; Eucharistic bread.

Descendants

• English: savior, saviour; Savior, Saviour
• Scots: saviour; Saviour

References

• “sāveǒur, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.