set

set · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*sed-
2. Proto-Indo-European*sodéyeti
3. Proto-Germanic*satjaną
4. Proto-West Germanic*sattjan
5. Old Englishsettan
6. Middle Englishsetten
7. English todayset

From Middle English setten, from Old English settan, from Proto-West Germanic *sattjan, from Proto-Germanic *satjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *sodéyeti, causative of *sed- (“to sit”). Cognate with Dutch zetten, German setzen, Danish sætte, Norwegian Bokmål sette, Icelandic and Norwegian Nynorsk setja, Swedish sätta, Faroese seta.

set · noun²

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*setą“seat”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*set“seat”
3. Old English · inherited fromset“seat, place of residence, camp, settlement, entrenchment, stable, pen”
4. Middle English · inherited fromset
5. English todayset

From Middle English set, sette, from Old English set (“seat, place of residence, camp, settlement, entrenchment, stable, pen”), from Proto-West Germanic *set (“seat”), from Proto-Germanic *setą (“seat”).

set · adjective³

1. Old English · inherited fromġesett
2. Middle English · inherited fromsett
3. English todayset

From Middle English sett, from Old English ġesett, past participle of settan.

set · noun⁴

1. Latin · derived fromsecta“a faction”
2. Medieval Latin · derived fromsecta“retinue”
3. Old French · derived fromsette“a religious sect”
4. Old English · derived fromseten“a set, shoot, slip, branch; a nursery, plantation; that which is planted or set; a cultivated place; planting, cultivation; a setting, putting; a stopping; occupied land”
5. Old English · derived fromset“setting, seat, a place where people remain, habitation, camp, entrenchment, a place where animals are kept, stall, fold”
6. Middle English · derived fromset
7. English todayset

From Middle English set, sete, sette (“that which is set, the act of setting, seat”), from Old English set (“setting, seat, a place where people remain, habitation, camp, entrenchment, a place where animals are kept, stall, fold”) and Old English seten (“a set, shoot, slip, branch; a nursery, plantation; that which is planted or set; a cultivated place; planting, cultivation; a setting, putting; a stopping; occupied land”), related to Old English settan (“to set”). Compare Middle Low German gesette (“a set, suite”), Old English gesetl (“assembly”). According to Skeat, in senses denoting a group of things or persons, representing an alteration of sept, from Old French sette (“a religious sect”), from Medieval Latin secta (“retinue”), from Latin secta (“a faction”). See sect. It is quite possible that the modern word is more of a merger between both, however.

set · verb⁵

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. )

Set · proper noun⁶

1. Egyptian · derived froms-t:X
2. Coptic · borrowed fromⲥⲏⲧ
3. English todaySet

Borrowed from Coptic ⲥⲏⲧ (sēt), from Egyptian s-t:X (stẖ).

Words from the same roots