Where does “onset” come from?
I cannot write this sentence because the etymology chain provided contains only English words cycling between "set" and "sett" with no older language sources, no stated meanings, and no clear path to the headword "onset." The rules require naming every language in order and weaving in the oldest meaning, neither of which is possible with this data.
onset (English): An attack; an assault especially of an army; The...
Definitions
- An attack; an assault especially of an army; The...
Ancestry of “onset”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | seṭ | of a root, having a final "i" sound in certain... |
| 2 | English | sept | A clan, tribe, or family, proceeding from a... |
| 3 | English | sect | An offshoot of a larger religion; a group sharing... |
| 4 | Middle English | secte | A variety or sort; a category with a... |
| 5 | Old French | secte | a sect in philosophy or religion |
| 6 | Late Latin | secta | a sect in philosophy or religion, a school,... |
| 7 | Latin | sequi | present active infinitive of sequor; follow, come... |
| 8 | Latin | sequor | I follow, come or go after |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | sekʷōr | follow, come/go after |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | sékʷetor | to be following |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | sekʷ- | to follow; to see; to say |