Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “seafolk” come from?

seafolk (English) comes from English sea, from Middle English see, from Old English sǣ, from Proto-West Germanic saiwi, from Proto-Germanic saiwiz, from Proto-Germanic sīhwaną, from Proto-Indo-European seykʷ-, from Proto-Indo-European sey- — to be wet; dribble; run; to stretch one's arm;...

seafolk (English): Merpeople; People who live near the sea and make...

Definitions

  1. Merpeople; People who live near the sea and make...

Ancestry of “seafolk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishseaA large body of salt water; A lake, especially if...
2Middle Englishseesea, ocean; A body of water, a lake; seat, chair
3Old Englishsǣsea, lake
4Proto-West Germanicsaiwisea
5Proto-Germanicsaiwizsea, ocean
6Proto-Germanicsīhwanąto filter
7Proto-Indo-Europeanseykʷ-to moisten; to filter
8Proto-Indo-Europeansey-to be wet; dribble; run; to stretch one's arm;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sey- →