seem

The story

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

From Middle English semen (“to seem, befit, be becoming”), from Old Norse sœma (“to conform to, beseem, befit”), from Proto-Germanic *sōmijaną (“to unite, fit”), from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one; whole”). Cognate with Scots seme (“to be fitting; beseem”), Danish sømme (“to beseem”), Old Swedish søma, Faroese søma (“to be proper”). Related also to Old Norse sómi (“honour”) ( > archaic Danish somme (“decent comportment”)), Old Norse sœmr (“fitting, seemly”), Old English sēman (“to reconcile, bring an agreement”), Old English sōm (“agreement”).

Words from the same roots