sage

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /seɪd͡ʒ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪdʒ

Etymology 1

From Middle English sage, from Old French sage (11th century), from Latin *sapius, from Latin sapere (“to taste, to discern, to be wise”).

The noun meaning "man of profound wisdom" is recorded from circa 1300. Originally applied to the Seven Sages of Greece.

Adjective

sage (comparative sager, superlative sagest)

1. Wise.
   • c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henrie the Fourth, , quarto edition, London: V S for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv], signature I, recto:

     Harry the fift is crownd, vp vanitie, / Downe royall ſtate, all you ſage counſailers, hence, / And to the Engliſh Court aſſemble now / From euery region, apes of idleneſſe: […]

   • 1670, John Milton, “The Second Book”, in The History of Britain, that Part Especially now Call’d England. , London: J M for James Allestry, , →OCLC, page 72:

     Howbeit the Caledonians with great preparation, and by rumor, as of things unknown much greater, taking Armes, and of thir own accord begining Warr by the aſſault of ſundry Caſtles, ſent back ſome of thir fear to the Romans themſelves: and there were of the Commanders, who cloaking thir fear under ſhew of ſage advice, counſel’d the General to retreat back on this ſide Bodotria.

   • 1836, [Frederick Marryat], “In which Jack makes some very sage reflections, and comes to a very unwise decision”, in Mr. Midshipman Easy , volume I, London: Saunders and Otley, , →OCLC, page 77:

     CHAPTER VII. In which Jack makes some very sage reflections, and comes to a very unwise decision.

2. (obsolete) Grave; serious; solemn.

Synonyms

• (wise): See Thesaurus:wise
• (grave): See Thesaurus:serious

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

sage (plural sages)

2. A wise person or spiritual teacher; someone of gravity and wisdom, especially, a teacher venerable for years, and of sound judgment and prudence; a grave or stoic philosopher.
   • 1748, [David Hume], “Essay V. Sceptical Solution of these Doubts.”, in Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding, London: A Millar, , →OCLC, part I, page 69:

     ’Tis certain, that, while we aſpire to the magnanimous Firmneſs of the philoſophic Sage, and endeavour to confine our Pleaſures altogether within our own Minds, we may, at laſt, render our Philoſophy, like that of Epictetus and other Stoics, only a more refin’d Syſtem of Selfiſhneſs, and reaſon ourſelves out of all Virtue, as well as ſocial Enjoyment.

Synonyms

• (wise person): See Thesaurus:sage

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• rishi
• maharishi

Etymology 2

From Middle English sauge, from Middle French sauge, from Old French salje, from Latin salvia, from salvus (“healthy”), see safe.

Noun

sage (usually uncountable, plural sages)

2. The plant Salvia officinalis and savory spice produced from it; also planted for ornamental purposes.
3. Any plant in the genus Salvia.
4. Any of a number of plants such as sagebrush considered to be similar to Salvia officinalis, mostly because they are small shrubs and have gray foliage or are aromatic.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• salvia

Further reading

• Salvia officinalis on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Salvia officinalis on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Japanese sage (sage), from Japanese 下げる (sageru, “to lower”). From 2channel.

Pronunciation

• Etymologically /sɑɡɛ/, but often /seɪdʒ/ due to its English homograph.

Interjection

sage

1. (Internet slang) Word used in the email field of imageboards to prevent a bump of the post. Used as an option rather than a word in some imageboard software.

   sage in all fields

Related terms

• age

Verb

sage (third-person singular simple present sages, present participle saging, simple past and past participle saged)

1. (Internet slang) The act of using the word or option sage in the email field or a checkbox of an imageboard when posting a reply.

   Reminder to sage and report.

Derived terms

• polite sage

Descendants

• → Finnish: sagettaa

Usage notes

• This word is specific to imageboards. The original purpose of sage is to not bump a thread if one deems another's (often OP's) own post to be of little value, but has evolved into a show of disrespect.

Anagrams

• Sega, ages, geas, sega

Central Franconian

Alternative forms

• san, son (Moselle Franconian)

Etymology

From Middle High German sagen, from Old High German sagēn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzaːɣə/

Verb

sage (third-person singular present tense sät, past tense sat or sät, past participle jesat or jesät)

1. (Ripuarian) to say; to tell

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch saghe, from Old Dutch *saga, from Proto-West Germanic *sagā, from Proto-Germanic *sagǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsaːɣə/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: sa‧ge
• Rhymes: -aːɣə

Noun

sage f (plural sagen)

1. story of heraldry and valor, a saga.

Derived terms

• heldensage
• riddersage

Estonian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *sakëda.

Adjective

sage (genitive sageda, partitive sagedat, comparative sagedam, superlative kõige sagedam)

1. frequent

Declension

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French sage, from Old French sage, from Vulgar Latin *sapius from the Classical Latin verb sapiō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /saʒ/

• audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aʒ

Adjective

sage (plural sages)

1. (of a person) wise: prudent, cautious, and judicious
2. (of a woman) Chaste, modest, irreproachable in conduct
3. (of a child) good, well-behaved, not naughty

   Alors, tu vas être sage pour maman dans le magasin ?

   Now, are you going to be good for mommy in the store?

Derived terms

• assagir
• faire que sage
• sage comme une image
• sage-femme

Noun

sage m or f by sense (plural sages)

1. a person who is prudent, cautious, and judicious
2. a sage (person)

Further reading

• “sage”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

Anagrams

• ages, âges, âgés

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈzaːɡə/

• Audio

  (file)

Verb

sage

1. inflection of sagen:
   1. first-person singular present
   2. first/third-person singular subjunctive I
   3. singular imperative

Hausa

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sá.ɡèː/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key):

Verb

sagḕ (grade 4)

1. to become stiff or paralyzed

Latin

Adjective

sāge

1. vocative masculine singular of sāgus

Noun

sage m

1. singular vocative of sagus

Middle English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Old French sage, from Vulgar Latin *sapius, from sapiō. Some forms have been altered on the basis of other words with forms in -a- and -au-.

Alternative forms

• sauge, sawge

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsaːdʒ(ə)/

Noun

sage (plural sages)

1. A sage; a person who serves as a fount of wisdom and knowledge.

Descendants

• English: sage
• Scots: sage

References

• “sāǧe, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-29.

Adjective

sage

1. Sage, considered, well thought-out.
2. Learned, schooled, educated; having much knowledge.

Descendants

• English: sage
• Scots: sage

References

• “sāǧe, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-07-29.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Middle French sauge.

Noun

sage

1. Alternative form of sauge

Norman

Etymology

From Old French sage, from Vulgar Latin *sapius, from Latin sapiō, sapere (“to taste; to discern; to be wise”), from Proto-Indo-European *sap- (“to taste”).

Adjective

sage m or f

1. (Jersey) wise

Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

sage (imperative sag, present tense sager, simple past saga or saget or sagde, past participle saga or saget or sagd, present participle sagende)

1. to saw (cut something with a saw)

Related terms

• sag (noun)

References

• “sage” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Old French

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *sapius (“wise”), semantically specialized alteration of Latin sapidus (“delicious, wise”). Doublet of sade (“delicious”), from the Latin form.

Adjective

sage m (oblique and nominative feminine singular sage)

1. wise (having wisdom)

Descendants

• Middle French: sage
  • French: sage
• → Italian: saggio
• → Middle English: sage
  • English: sage

References

• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “sapĭdus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volumes 11: S–Si, page 202

Sathmar Swabian

Etymology

From Old High German sagēn, from Proto-Germanic *sagjaną.

Verb

sage

1. to say

References

• Claus Stephani, Volksgut der Sathmarschwaben (1985)