English
sad
Sad comes from Old English sæd ‘sated, weary’, from Proto-Germanic *sadaz ‘sated’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂- ‘to satiate’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₂-‘to satiate, satisfy’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sh₂-tó-sreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sadaz‘full, sated’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sad‘sated, full’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sæd‘satisfied, sated, weary’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sad‘sated’
- Englishearliest quotation 1509same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₂-‘to satiate, satisfy’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sh₂-tó-sreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sadaz‘full, sated’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sad‘sated, full’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sæd‘satisfied, sated, weary’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sad‘sated’
- Englishearliest quotation 1509same form
Earliest quotation: 1509, Sebastian Brant, The Ship of Fools: “Therfore it nedeth that better prouysion. Were founde for…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *seh₂- ‘to satiate, satisfy’
insane, secular, sane, sanity, saturation, sanitary, insatiable, hadron, saturate, satiety, satiate, 19 more
through Proto-Germanic *sadaz ‘sated, satisfied’
through Middle English sad ‘sated, weary’
Today it means
adj Feeling sorrow; sorrowful, mournful.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *seh₂- / sad