English
seldseen
Seldseen comes from Middle English seldscene ‘rarely encountered, seldom seen’, and goes back to Old English seldsīene ‘rare, extraordinary, unfamiliar, uncommon’.
- Old Englishc. 450–1150seldsīene‘rare, extraordinary, unfamiliar, uncommon’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500seldscene‘rarely encountered, seldom seen’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1589–1590seldseen
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Old Englishc. 450–1150seldsīene‘rare, extraordinary, unfamiliar, uncommon’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500seldscene‘rarely encountered, seldom seen’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1589–1590seldseen
Earliest quotation: c. 1589–1590, Christopher Marlowe, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […]: “And seldseen costly stones of so great price.”
Every English word from Old English seldsīene
Today it means
adj seldom seen, rare, uncommon
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old English seldsīene / seldseen