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Sa·voy¹

(sə-voi)

A ruling house founded in the 11th century that later governed Sardinia (1720-1861) and Italy (1861-1946).

Sa·voy²

(sə-voi)

A historical region and former duchy of southeast France, western Switzerland, and northwest Italy. The region changed hands many times before becoming a duchy in the early 1400s. In 1720 the duke of Savoy gained the title king of Sardinia, and in 1861 the Savoyard Victor Emmanuel II ascended the throne of the newly formed kingdom of Italy. Much of the original territory was ceded to France at the same time.

Sa·voyard (sə-voiärd′, säv′oi-yärd) adj. & n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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