sew

sew · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*syewH-“to sew”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*siwjaną“to sew”
3. Old English · inherited fromsiwian
4. Middle English · inherited fromsewen
5. English todaysew

From Middle English sewen, sowen, from Old English siwian, seowian, seowan (“to sew, mend, patch, knit together, link, unite”), from Proto-Germanic *siwjaną (“to sew”), from Proto-Indo-European *syewH- (“to sew”). Cognate with Scots sew, North Frisian saie, sei, Saterland Frisian säie, Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish sy, and, more distantly, Polish szyć, Russian шить (šitʹ), Latin suō, Sanskrit सीव्यति (sī́vyati). Related to seam.

sew · verb²

Back-formation from sewer (“a drain”).

sew · noun³

1. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*sauw
2. Old English · inherited fromsēaw“sap, juice”
3. Middle English · inherited fromsew“broth”
4. English todaysew

From Middle English sew (“broth”), from Old English sēaw (“sap, juice”), from Proto-West Germanic *sauw.