English
chairness
Chairness comes from Middle English chayere ‘a litter or palanquin’, from Ancient Greek κᾰθέδρᾱ ‘seat’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed- ‘to sit’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sed-‘to sit’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sedreh₂reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hédrāreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἕδραhédra‘seat, abode, throne’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκᾰθέδρᾱkăthédrā‘seat’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcathedra
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400chaiere
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500chayere‘a litter or palanquin’
- English1500–presentchair
- Englishearliest quotation 1870chairness
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sed-‘to sit’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sedreh₂reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*hédrāreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἕδραhédra‘seat, abode, throne’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEκᾰθέδρᾱkăthédrā‘seat’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcathedra
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400chaiere
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500chayere‘a litter or palanquin’
- English1500–presentchair
- Englishearliest quotation 1870chairness
Earliest quotation: 1870, A New Adam in Sweden: “There was, according to him [an artificial monster created…”
A compound of chair + -ness
Proto-Indo-European *sed- ‘to sit’
…
Ancient Greek κᾰθέδρᾱ ‘seat’
Latin cathedra ‘seat’
Old French chaiere
Middle English chayere ‘a litter or palanquin’
English chair
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sed- ‘to sit’
set, president, size, sell, sit, sitting, seat, method, session, settle, resident, siege, saddle, exodus, assess, possess, niche, nest, subsidy, sedan, reside, sediment, residual, residue, nye, insidious, sedentary, prasad, cathode, soot, sedative, setter, dissident, beset, anode, sedate, sate, obsess, presidio, seance, 94 more
through Ancient Greek ἕδρα ‘seat, abode, throne’
through Latin cathedra
through Old French chaiere
Today it means
noun The essence of what it means to be a chair; the qualities that make a chair what it is.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sed- / chairness