"S" Word Origins

sen

Japanese

Adapted from the Japanese and Malay use of "sen" for a subunit of currency, itself influenced by the English word "cent."

senate

Latin

From Latin senātus, "council of elders," from senex, "old" — the same root as "senior" and "senile."

senator

Latin

From Latin senātor, from senex, "old" — an "elder" in the original Roman sense.

senatorial

Origin

From Latin senātōrius + -al. Compare French sénatorial. By surface analysis, senator + -ial.

senatrix

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin senātrīx. By surface analysis, senator + -trix.

send

Old English

From Old English sendan, "to cause to go," from a Germanic root shared with Dutch zenden and German senden.

send-up

English

A noun formed from the phrasal verb send up, in the sense 'to hold up to ridicule'.

Sendai

Japanese

Borrowed from Japanese 仙台 (Sendai).

sender

German

Borrowed from German Senden, a municipality of North Rhine-Westphalia, or a pet form of Alexander.

Seneca

Latin

From Latin Seneca.

Senegal

Portuguese

Possibly from a Portuguese transliteration of the Zenaga people's name, or from Serer words meaning "body of water."

senesce

Origin

From Latin senēscere (“to grow old”).

senescence

Origin

From senescent + -ence.

senescent

Origin

From Latin senescens, present participle of senescere (“to grow old”), from senere (“to be old”), from senex (“old”).

seneschal

Origin

From Middle English seneschal (recorded in English since 1393), from Old French seneschal, from Medieval Latin siniscalcus, from Frankish *siniskalk, from Proto-Germanic *siniskalkaz, from Proto-Germanic *siniz (“senior”) + *skalkaz (“servant”); latter term as in marshal. As an officer of the French crown, via French sénéchal.

senex

Origin

From Latin senex.

senga

Origin

The name was relatively common in West Central Scotland until the 1980s, and is sometimes said to derive from Agnes.

senhor

Latin

From Portuguese senhor, from Latin senior ("older, elder") — the same root that gave English "senior" and "sir."

senile

Latin

From French sénile, from Latin senīlis, "of old age," from senex, "old man."

senility

Origin

Formed from senile plus the noun-forming suffix -ity.

senior

Latin

From Latin senior, the comparative form of senex, "old" — the same root behind "senate" and "senility."

seniority

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin senioritas, built on Latin senior, "elder."

senna

Arabic

From Arabic sanā, the name of the plant.

sennight

Origin

From Middle English senight, senyght, sinight (“sevennight, a week”) [and other forms], a shortened form of seven-night, sevenight, sevenyght [and other forms], from Late Old English seofeniht (compare seofonnihte (“seven days old; seven days long”, adjective)), from seofon (“seven”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *septḿ̥ (“seven”)) + niht (“night; day (when computing spans of time)”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nókʷts (“night”)). Doublet of sevennight.

señorita

Spanish

Spanish señorita, the diminutive of señora 'lady, madam', which goes back to Latin senior 'older person'.

senpai

Japanese

Borrowed from Japanese senpai.

sensate

Origin

From Middle English sensat, from Late Latin sensatus (“able to sense”), from sensus (“sense”).

sensation

Latin

From Old French, ultimately from Latin sensus, "sense" or "feeling."

sensational

Origin

From sensation + -al.

sense

Latin

From Old French sens, partly from Latin sensus ("feeling, meaning," from sentiō, "to feel"), partly from a Germanic root meaning "judgment" or "direction."

sensei

Japanese

Borrowed from Japanese sensei, "teacher," literally "born before" — someone who came earlier and thus knows more.

sensely

Origin

From sense + -ly.

sensibilities

Origin

The plural of sensibility.

sensibility

Late Latin

From Late Latin sensibilitas, from Latin sensibilis, "perceptible, capable of feeling."

sensible

Latin

From Latin sensibilis, "perceptible, having feeling," from sentiō, "to feel."

sensing

Origin

Altered form of Saintsing.

sensitive

Medieval Latin

From Middle French sensitif, from Medieval Latin sensitivus, ultimately from Latin sentiō, "to feel."

sensitivity

Origin

From sensitive + the noun-forming suffix -ity.

sensor

Latin · 1920

Formed in the 1920s from Latin sentiō, "to feel," on the pattern of words like "motor."

sensorial

Origin

Either sensorium + -al or sensory + -al. Ultimately from Latin sentiō.

sensorimotor

Origin

1855, blend of sensory + motor.

sensory

Origin

From sense + the adjective-forming suffix -ory.

sensual

Late Latin

From Late Latin sensualis, "endowed with feeling," from Latin sensus, "feeling, sense."

sensuality

Late Latin

From Late Latin sensualitas, "capacity for sensation," from sensualis.

sensualness

Origin

From sensual + -ness.

sensuous

Latin

From Latin sensus, "sense," combined with the English suffix -ous.

sent

Origin

From send + -t. See send.

sentence

Latin

From Latin sententia, "opinion, way of thinking," from sentiō, "to feel or think."