English
seek
Seek comes from Middle English seke, from Old English sēċan ‘to seek’, from Proto-Germanic *sōkijaną ‘to seek’, from Proto-Indo-European *séh₂gyeti ‘to seek out’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₂g-‘to follow’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*séh₂gyeti‘to seek out’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sōkijaną‘to seek’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sōkijan‘to seek’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sēċan‘to look for’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500seke
- Englishearliest quotation 1470–1485seek
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*seh₂g-‘to follow’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*séh₂gyeti‘to seek out’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sōkijaną‘to seek’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sōkijan‘to seek’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sēċan‘to look for’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500seke
- Englishearliest quotation 1470–1485seek
Earliest quotation: 1470–1485, (please specify the chapter): “Ryght so he sought[…]towarde Sandewyche where he founde before…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *seh₂g- ‘to follow, trace’
sake, sucker, hegemony, saya, hegemon, 19 more
through Proto-Indo-European *séh₂gyeti ‘to seek out’
sagittal, presage, sagacity, 5 more
through Proto-Germanic *sōkijaną ‘to seek’
through Old English sēċan ‘to look for, seek’
Today it means
verb To try to find; to look for; to search for.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *seh₂g- / seek