Sake in For Goodness Sake Meant a Lawsuit
Sake means purpose or benefit. Its Old English source was a legal dispute.
Sake means purpose or benefit, as in *for the sake of argument*. Old English *sacu* meant a lawsuit, a dispute or a cause in the legal sense — and that is the bridge: *for his sake* originally meant on his side of a case, on his behalf. The modern sense of benefit grew directly out of pleading a cause. The same word gives *forsake*, to dispute against and so abandon, and it is related to German *Sache*, a matter or thing. Japanese *sake*, the rice drink, is an unrelated word.
- Purpose. *For the sake of clarity.*
- Benefit. *For your own sake.*
- A lawsuit (archaic). *Sacu.*
- Forsake — to abandon. *To forsake.*
- Old English — *sacu*, a dispute. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | sake | Sake. |
| Phrase | for the sake of | For the sake of. |
| Related | forsake | To forsake. |
| German | Sache | A matter. |
| Old English | sacu | A dispute. |
- For the sake of argument.Purpose.
- Do it for your own sake.Benefit.
- Sacu meant a lawsuit.Etymology.
Legal words in everyday speech
- Sake — originally a cause at law
- Plea — a formal answer to a charge
- Verdict — literally a true saying
- Alibi — Latin for elsewhere
- Bias — from bowls, but fixed by legal usage
Old English *sacu*, a lawsuit or dispute, related to German *Sache*, a matter.
What did sake originally mean?
A lawsuit or cause. For someone's sake meant on their side in a legal dispute.
Is the Japanese drink the same word?
No. Japanese sake is entirely unrelated and merely happens to be spelled the same in English.