Where does “syne” come from?
syne (Middle English) comes from Middle English sithen, from Old English siþþan, from Old English sīþ, from Proto-West Germanic sinþ, from Proto-Germanic sinþaz, from Proto-Indo-European sent-, from Proto-Indo-European h₁es- — to be.
Ancestry of “syne”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sithen | From or since the time that; since then, after... |
| 2 | Old English | siþþan | afterwards, subsequently; since; ago, since |
| 3 | Old English | sīþ | journey, movement, trip, point in time, occasion;... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | sinþ | journey, way, path; time, occasion |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | sinþaz | journey, way, path |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sent- | to head for, to go, to travel; to feel |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁es- | to be |