English
obsession
Obsession comes from Latin obsessio ‘a besieging’, from sedeō ‘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‘to sit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobsideōas obsidere‘to besiege’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobsessio‘a besieging’
- Englishearliest quotation 1973obsession
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‘to sit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobsideōas obsidere‘to besiege’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEobsessio‘a besieging’
- Englishearliest quotation 1973obsession
Earliest quotation: 1973, Jessie Penn-Lewis, Evan Roberts: “if an evil spirit counterfeits the presence of God,…”
Formed from obsess + -ion
Proto-Indo-European *sed- ‘to sit’
…
Proto-Italic *sedēō ‘to sit, to be sitting, to be seated’
Latin sedeō ‘to sit’
Latin obsideō ‘sit on or in, remain, besiege’
Latin obsessus ‘besieged, blockaded’
English obsess
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sed- ‘to sit’
set, method, sell, chair, sitting, sit, seat, settle, nest, niche, saddle, exodus, possess, nye, subsidy, prasad, cathode, soot, anode, setter, beset, sate, chaise, ersatz, salo, nidal, nias, besiege, polyhedron, 82 more
through Proto-Italic *sedēō ‘to sit, to be sitting, to be seated’
assessor, presidente, assize, 25 more
through Latin sedeō ‘to sit’
president, size, resident, siege, possession, assess, sedan, reside, sediment, residual, residue, sedentary, insidious, sedative, dissident, sedate, possessive, séance, seance, presidio, presidium, sessile, 27 more
Today it means
noun The quality of being obsessed; an unshakeable feeling that one topic or activity must be pursued above other interests.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sed- / obsession