English
enseal
Enseal comes from Old English inseġlian ‘to place a seal on’, and goes back to Proto-West Germanic *insigilōn.
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*insigilōnreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150inseġlian‘to place a seal on’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500enselen
- Englishearliest quotation 1905enseal
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*insigilōnreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150inseġlian‘to place a seal on’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500enselen
- Englishearliest quotation 1905enseal
Earliest quotation: 1905, Charles Swan, Gesta Romanorum: “So he wrote letters, ensealed with his ring, to…”
Proto-Germanic *selhaz ‘seal (animal)’
Proto-West Germanic *selh ‘seal (animal)’
Old English seolh ‘seal (animal)’
Middle English sel ‘seal (pinniped)’
English seal
Every English word from Proto-West Germanic *insigilōn
Today it means
verb To mark with, or as if with, a seal (stamp)
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-West Germanic *insigilōn / enseal