Where does “sightseer” come from?
sightseer (English) comes from English seer, from English See, from Middle English seen, from Old English sēon, from Proto-West Germanic sehwan, from Proto-Germanic sehwaną, from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- — to follow; to see; to say.
sightseer (English): One who goes sightseeing; one who goes around to...
Definitions
- One who goes sightseeing; one who goes around to...
Ancestry of “sightseer”, step by step
sightseer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English seer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | seer | One who sees something; an eyewitness; One who... |
| 2 | English | See | — |
| 3 | Middle English | seen | to see |
| 4 | Old English | sēon | to be; to filter; to see, look, behold, perceive,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | sehwan | to see |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | sehwaną | to see |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sekʷ- | to follow; to see; to say |