English
assize
Assize comes from Old French assises, from asseoir ‘to sit’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sed-‘to sit’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sedéh₁yetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sedēō‘to sit, to be sitting, to be seated’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsedeō‘sit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEassideōas assidere‘to sit by or near someone or something’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*assedērereconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400asseoir‘to sit’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400assisesfeminine plural participle of asseoir
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500assise‘a holding of the court of assize’
- Englishearliest quotation 1591assize
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sed-‘to sit’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sedéh₁yetireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sedēō‘to sit, to be sitting, to be seated’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsedeō‘sit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEassideōas assidere‘to sit by or near someone or something’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*assedērereconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400asseoir‘to sit’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400assisesfeminine plural participle of asseoir
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500assise‘a holding of the court of assize’
- Englishearliest quotation 1591assize
Earliest quotation: 1591, Edmund Spenser, Visons: “an hundred cubits high by just assize”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sed- ‘to sit’
set, sell, seat, method, chair, sitting, sit, settle, nest, niche, possess, saddle, exodus, subsidy, nye, beset, cathode, soot, setter, anode, prasad, chaise, sate, ersatz, salo, besiege, nidal, polyhedron, nias, 81 more
through Proto-Italic *sedēō ‘to sit, to be sitting, to be seated’
possession, obsession, presidente, 24 more
through Latin sedeō ‘sit’
president, session, resident, siege, sedan, reside, sediment, residual, residue, sedentary, insidious, sedative, possessive, sedate, dissident, obsess, assessor, presidio, seance, séance, presidium, sessile, 26 more
through Latin assideō ‘to sit by or near someone or something’
through Old French asseoir ‘to sit’
Today it means
noun A session or inquiry made before a court or jury.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sed- / assize