Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “seizure” come from?

Seizure derives from Middle English seisen, from Old French -ure, from Frankish sakjan, from Proto-Germanic sakjaną, meaning to dispute or contend.

seizure (English): The act of taking possession, as by force or...

Definitions

  1. The act of taking possession, as by force or...

Ancestry of “seizure”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishseizeTo deliberately take hold of; to grab or capture;...
2EnglishseiseTo vest ownership of a freehold estate in; To put...
3Middle EnglishseisenTo kidnap, abduct, or take captive; To grasp or...
4Old Frenchseisirto grip; to seize
5Latinsacīre—
6Frankishsakjanto sue, bring a legal charge against; to sue,...
7Proto-Germanicsakjaną—
8Proto-Germanicsakanąto charge, dispute
9Proto-Indo-Europeansh₂g-—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanseh₂g-to seek out

Words derived from “seizure”

  • antiseizure
  • pseudoseizure
  • seizurelike
  • nonseizure
  • reseizure
  • seizureless
Every word from Proto-Indo-European seh₂g- →