siege

The story

1. Latin · derived fromsēdēs“seat”
2. Latin · derived fromsēdicŭlum
3. Vulgar Latin · derived from*sēdicum
4. Old French · derived fromsege
5. Middle English · inherited fromsege
6. English todaysiege

From Middle English sege, from Old French sege, siege, seige (modern French siège), from Vulgar Latin *sēdicum, from Latin sēdicŭlum, sēdēcula (“small seat”), from Latin sēdēs (“seat”). The military sense of the term is derived from the notion of an army "sitting down" in front of its target.

Words from the same roots