Where does “bienséant” come from?

bienséant (French) comes from French séant, from French seoir, from Middle French seoir, from Old French seoir, from Old French sedeir, from Latin sedeō, from Proto-Italic sedēō, from Proto-Indo-European sḗd- — to sit.

bienséant (French): becoming, decorous, seemly; proper, decent

Definitions

  1. becoming, decorous, seemly; proper, decent

Ancestry of “bienséant”, step by step

bienséant traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French séant

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchséantpresent participle of seoir; sejant; sitting
2Frenchseoirto be suitable for; to be proper for; to be...
3Middle Frenchseoirto be; to be situated; to sit down
4Old Frenchseoirto sit; to sit down
5Old FrenchsedeirAlternative form of seoir
6Latinsedeōto sit, to be seated
7Proto-Italicsedēōsit, be sitting, be seated
8Proto-Indo-Europeansḗd-to sit

via French bien

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchbiengood, all right, great; good looking, nice; well
2Middle Frenchbienwell
3Old Frenchbienwell; indeed; possession; object of value
4Latinbenewell; properly, exactly; agreeably, favorably
5Latinbonusgood, honest, brave, noble, kind, pleasant;...
6Old LatinduenosAlternative form of duonus
7Proto-Italicdwenosgood
8Proto-Indo-Europeandew-to show favour, revere; to fail, to lag, to be...

Words derived from “bienséant

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sḗd-Every word from Proto-Italic sedēōEvery word from Latin sedeō