Where does “sell” come from?
Sell comes from French selle, from Latin sella meaning seat, from Proto-Italic sedlā, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sed- meaning to sit.
sell (English): To transfer goods or provide services in exchange...
Definitions
- To transfer goods or provide services in exchange...
Ancestry of “sell”, step by step
sell traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via French selle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | selle | saddle; commode; excrement |
| 2 | Middle French | selle | saddle |
| 3 | Old French | sele | saddle |
| 4 | Latin | sella | seat, chair; sedan chair; saddle |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | sedlā | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sed-lo- | — |
via Middle English sellen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sellen | To grant; to confer or bestow |
| 2 | Old English | sellan | to give; to give up for money; betray |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | salljan | to give, to hand over |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | saljaną | to offer, to give |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | selh₁- | to take |
via Old Saxon seill
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Saxon | seill | — |