English
see
See comes from Middle English seen ‘to observe, verify, or witness visually’, from Proto-West Germanic *sehwan ‘to see’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sekʷ-‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sehwaną‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sehwan‘to see’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sēon‘to see’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500seen‘to observe’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611see
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sekʷ-‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sehwaną‘to see’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sehwan‘to see’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sēon‘to see’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500seen‘to observe’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611see
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “Uerely, verely I ſay vnto you, If a man…”
The story
Etymology 1 sense 9 is a calque of Latin vidē (“see (thou)”, 2ⁿᵈ person singular imperative), which was also borrowed into academic English (see vide) as well as Portuguese.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- ‘to see, notice’
say, social, saw, second, society, executive, suit, associate, pursue, sue, subsequent, sequence, consecutive, execute, saga, prosecution, consequently, sequel, persecution, intrinsic, sequential, sect, executor, ensue, dissociation, consequent, sequestration, extrinsic, persecute, dissociate, sequester, segue, sequitur, seg, 34 more
through Proto-West Germanic *sehwan ‘to see’
through Old English sēon ‘to see, look, behold, perceive, observe,…’
Another origin of see
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500se
- Englishtodaysee
Today it means
verb To perceive or detect someone or something with the eyes, or as if by sight.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- / see