Where does “sigh” come from?

Sigh comes from Middle English sihen, from Old English sīcan, from Proto-Germanic sīkaną, of uncertain origin and meaning.

sigh (English): To inhale a larger quantity of air than usual,...

Definitions

  1. To inhale a larger quantity of air than usual,...

Ancestry of “sigh”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle DutchsighenAlternative spelling of sigen
2Middle Englishsightesight
3Middle Englishsiken—
4Old Englishsīcanto sigh
5Proto-West Germanic*sīkanto sigh, take a deep breath

Words derived from “sigh”

Every word from Proto-West Germanic *sīkan →Every word from Old English sīcan →Every word from Middle English siken →