English
chairwise
Chairwise 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 2021chairwise
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 2021chairwise
Earliest quotation: 2021, S. J. Perelman, Adam Gopnik: “Chairwise, the Latvians have done some very arresting things…”
A compound of chair + -wise
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’
president, set, size, sit, sitting, method, sell, seat, session, resident, settle, nest, siege, assess, possess, saddle, exodus, reside, niche, subsidy, residue, residual, sedan, nye, sediment, insidious, prasad, cathode, soot, sedentary, dissident, beset, anode, sedative, setter, obsess, presidio, sate, sedate, presidium, 94 more
through Ancient Greek ἕδρα ‘seat, abode, throne’
through Latin cathedra
through Old French chaiere
Today it means
adv In the manner or orientation of a chair.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sed- / chairwise