Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “seen” come from?

seen (Middle English) comes from Old English sēon, from Proto-West Germanic sehwan, from Proto-Germanic sehwaną, from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- — to follow; to see; to say.

seen (Middle English): to see

Definitions

  1. to see

Ancestry of “seen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishsēonto be; to filter; to see, look, behold, perceive,...
2Proto-West Germanicsehwanto see
3Proto-Germanicsehwanąto see
4Proto-Indo-Europeansekʷ-to follow; to see; to say

Words derived from “seen”

  • seeing
  • seer
  • sightseeing
  • unseeing
  • farseeing
  • unseeingly
  • sightseer
  • seeress
  • seeable
  • seership
  • missee
  • unsee
  • resee
  • outsee
  • farseer
  • nonseeing
  • seeingly
  • insee
  • farsee
  • all-seeingness
  • seest
  • all-seeing
  • must-see
  • undersee
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sekʷ- →