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
- To inhale a larger quantity of air than usual,...
Ancestry of “sigh”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | sighen | Alternative spelling of sigen |
| 2 | Middle English | sighte | sight |
| 3 | Middle English | siken | — |
| 4 | Old English | sīcan | to sigh |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *sīkan | — |
Words derived from “sigh”