Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bienséance” come from?

bienséance (English) comes from French bienséance, from French bienséant, from French séant, from French seoir, from Middle French seoir, from Old French seoir, from Old French sedeir, from Latin sedeō.

bienséance (English): Propriety, decorum

Definitions

  1. Propriety, decorum

Ancestry of “bienséance”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchbienséancepropriety
2Frenchbienséantbecoming, decorous, seemly; proper, decent
3Frenchséantpresent participle of seoir; sejant; sitting
4Frenchseoirto be suitable for; to be proper for; to be...
5Middle Frenchseoirto be; to be situated; to sit down
6Old Frenchseoirto sit; to sit down
7Old FrenchsedeirAlternative form of seoir
8Latinsedeō—
9Proto-Italicsedēōsit, be sitting, be seated
10Proto-Indo-Europeansḗd-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sḗd- →