Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “seashore” come from?

Sea comes from Old English sǽ, from Proto-Germanic *saiwiz, from Proto-Indo-European *sew- meaning to flow or moisture.

seashore (English): The coastal land bordering a sea or an ocean; The...

Definitions

  1. The coastal land bordering a sea or an ocean; The...

Ancestry of “seashore”, 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- →