English
sense
Sense comes from Old French sens ‘sense, perception’, partly from Latin sēnsus ‘feeling, meaning’, from sentiō ‘to feel’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sent- ‘to feel’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sent-‘to feel’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sentiō‘to feel’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsentiō‘feel, perceive’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēnsus‘sensation, feeling, meaning’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sens‘sense, perception, direction’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sense‘meaning’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1587same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sent-‘to feel’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sentiō‘to feel’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsentiō‘feel, perceive’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēnsus‘sensation, feeling, meaning’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sens‘sense, perception, direction’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sense‘meaning’
- Englishearliest quotation a. 1587same form
Earliest quotation: a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., (please specify the folio): “this Basilius, having the quick sense of a lover”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sent- ‘to perceive’
through Proto-Italic *sentiō ‘to feel, to sense, to perceive’
through Latin sentiō ‘feel, perceive’
sentence, sensitive, consent, sentiment, scent, consensus, sensible, sensor, resent, sensibility, sentient, assent, sentience, 32 more
through Latin sēnsus ‘sensation, feeling, meaning’
Today it means
noun Any of the manners by which living beings perceive the physical world: for humans sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sent- / sense