Where does “sitta still i båten” come from?

sitta still i båten (Swedish) comes from Swedish still, from Swedish stilla, from Old Swedish stilla, from Old Norse stilla, from Middle Low German stillen, from Old Saxon stillian, from Proto-West Germanic stillijan, from Proto-West Germanic -jan — he, she.

sitta still i båten (Swedish): to not take (drastic) action (in a difficult situation, and instead wait or carry on as before or the like); to stand by, to stay calm, etc

Definitions

  1. to not take (drastic) action (in a difficult situation, and instead wait or carry on as before or the like); to stand by, to stay calm, etc

Ancestry of “sitta still i båten”, step by step

sitta still i båten traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Swedish still

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishstillstill
2Swedishstillastill, calm; to still; to make quiet
3Old Swedishstillato calm; to stop a flow; to suppress
4Old Norsestillato calm
5Middle Low Germanstillen
6Old Saxonstillian
7Proto-West Germanicstillijanto make still, quiet
8Proto-West Germanic-janCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
9Proto-Germanic-janąDerives denominatives from nouns and factitives...
10Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
11Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
12Chichewaiyehe, she

via Swedish i

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishiused to signify that an action is done with...
2Swedishhopheap, collection; a whole bunch
3Old Norsehóprheap; group
4Middle Low Germanhōp
5Old Saxonhōp
6Proto-West Germanichaupheap, pile
7Proto-Germanichaupaza heap, pile; a crowd, throng
8Proto-Indo-Europeankouposhill

via Swedish sitta

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishsittato sit
2Old Swedishsitiato sit
3Old Norsesitjato sit
4Proto-Germanicsitjanąto sit
5Proto-Indo-Europeansḗd-to sit
Every word from Chichewa iyeEvery word from Proto-Germanic -janąEvery word from Proto-Indo-European -yéti