Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “beseeching” come from?

Beseeching comes from Middle English besechen, from Old English sēċan, meaning "to seek."

beseeching (English): present participle of beseech; A heartfelt plea

Definitions

  1. present participle of beseech; A heartfelt plea

Ancestry of “beseeching”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishbeseechto beg or implore; to request or beg for; A...
2Middle Englishbesechen—
3Old Englishsēċanto seek or inquire about
4Proto-West Germanicsōkijanto seek, to look for
5Proto-Germanicsōkijanąto seek, look for
6Proto-Indo-Europeanséh₂gyetito give a sign
7Proto-Indo-Europeanseh₂g-to seek out

Words derived from “beseeching”

  • beseechingly
  • beseechingness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European seh₂g- →