English
scent
Scent comes from Old French sentir ‘to feel, perceive, smell, sense’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *sent-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sent-‘to feel’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsentiō‘to feel, sense’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sentir‘to feel, perceive, smell, sense’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sent
- Englishearliest quotation 1567scent
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sent-‘to feel’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsentiō‘to feel, sense’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sentir‘to feel, perceive, smell, sense’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sent
- Englishearliest quotation 1567scent
Earliest quotation: 1567, Ovid, The Third Booke: “His houndes espyde him where he was, and Blacksoote…”
The story
Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sent- (‘to feel’), and thus related to Saterland Frisian Sin (‘sense’), West Frisian sin (‘sense’), Dutch zin (‘sense, meaning’), Low German Sinn (‘sense’), Luxembourgish Sënn (‘sense, perception’), German Sinn (‘sense’). The -c- appeared in the 17th century, possibly by influence of ascent, descent, etc., or by influence of science.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sent- ‘to feel’
send, senseless, sith, insensible, antisense, 31 more
through Latin sentiō ‘to feel, sense’
sense, sensitive, consensus, consent, sentence, sensible, sensation, sensor, sentiment, sensual, sensibility, sentient, sensuous, assent, sensu, sentience, 32 more
through Old French sentir ‘to feel, perceive, smell, sense’
Today it means
noun A distinctive smell.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sent- / scent