English
say
Say comes from Old English seċġan ‘to say, speak’, from Proto-Germanic *sagjaną ‘to say’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- ‘to say’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sekʷ-‘to say’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sokʷ-h₁-yé-uncertainsuffixed o-grade form of *sekʷ-
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sagjaną‘to say’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*saggjan‘to say’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150seċġan‘to say, speak’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500saien
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1598–1600say
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sekʷ-‘to say’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sokʷ-h₁-yé-uncertainsuffixed o-grade form of *sekʷ-
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sagjaną‘to say’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*saggjan‘to say’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150seċġan‘to say, speak’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500saien
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1598–1600say
Earliest quotation: c. 1598–1600, William Shakespeare, As You Like It: “You have said; but whether wisely or no, let…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- ‘to say’
see, second, social, society, executive, saw, suit, sight, associate, subsequent, sequence, pursue, sue, consecutive, prosecution, sequel, execute, consequently, persecution, sect, intrinsic, saga, sequential, consequent, executor, sequestration, ensue, dissociation, persecute, extrinsic, segue, sequester, dissociate, seg, sequitur, 34 more
through Old English seċġan ‘to say, speak’
Another origin of say
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsagum‘military cloak’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsagaplural of sagum
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600saie
- Englishtodaysay
Today it means
verb To pronounce.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- / say