English
siege
Siege comes from Old French sege, from Latin sēdicŭlum ‘small seat’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sed- ‘to sit’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sed-‘to sit’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sed-éh₁-ye-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sedēō‘to sit, to be sitting, to be seated’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsedeō‘to sit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēdēs‘seat’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēdicŭlum‘small seat’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*sēdicumreconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sege
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sege‘a group of assailants in a siege’
- Englishearliest quotation 1485siege
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sed-‘to sit’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*sed-éh₁-ye-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*sedēō‘to sit, to be sitting, to be seated’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsedeō‘to sit’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēdēs‘seat’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsēdicŭlum‘small seat’
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*sēdicumreconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400sege
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sege‘a group of assailants in a siege’
- Englishearliest quotation 1485siege
Earliest quotation: 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, ij: “Now Merlyn said kyng Arthur / goo thow and…”
The story
The military sense of the term is derived from the notion of an army "sitting down" in front of its target.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sed- ‘to sit’
set, sell, seat, method, chair, sitting, sit, settle, nest, possess, niche, saddle, exodus, nye, subsidy, beset, prasad, cathode, soot, setter, anode, chaise, sate, ersatz, salo, nidal, polyhedron, nias, 81 more
through Proto-Italic *sedēō ‘to sit, to be sitting, to be seated’
possession, obsession, assessor, presidente, assize, 23 more
through Latin sedeō ‘to sit’
president, size, session, resident, assess, sediment, reside, residual, residue, sedentary, insidious, sedative, possessive, dissident, obsess, sedate, presidio, seance, séance, presidium, sessile, 27 more
through Latin sēdēs ‘seat’
Today it means
noun A prolonged military assault or a blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sed- / siege