beseem

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*sem-“one; whole”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*sōmijaną“to fit; to unite”
3. Old Norse · derived fromsœma“to conform to; to befit, beseem”
4. Middle English · inherited frombisemen“to beseem”
5. English todaybeseem

PIE word *h₁epi From Middle English bisemen (“to beseem”) [and other forms], from be-, bi- (prefix forming transitive verbs with a completive, figurative, or intensifying sense) + semen (“to seem; to be or see as appropriate; to be visible or apparent; to regard”). Semen is derived from Old Norse sœma (“to conform to; to befit, beseem”), from Proto-Germanic *sōmijaną (“to fit; to unite”), from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one; whole”). The English word is analysable as be- (prefix with an intensifying sense) + seem.

Words from the same roots