"S" Word Origins

siesta

Latin

From Spanish siesta, going back to Latin sexta (hora), "the sixth hour" (counted from dawn) — that is, midday.

sieve

Old English

From Old English sife, an old Germanic word related to German Sieb — ultimately from a root meaning "to pour or strain".

sift

Old English

From Old English siftan, an old Germanic verb related to the noun sieve.

sifter

Origin

From sift + -er.

sifting

Origin

From sift + -ing.

sifu

Cantonese

From Cantonese words meaning "master" or "my master", also used for "teacher".

sig

Origin

A clipped form of signature.

siggy

Origin

A casual, diminutive form of sig, itself short for signature.

sigh

Old English

From Middle English sighen, related to Old English sīcan, ultimately from a root meaning "to breathe out".

sighing

Origin

From sigh + -ing.

sight

Old English

From Old English sihþ, related to see — literally "the act or power of seeing".

sightedness

Origin

From sighted + -ness.

sightly

Origin

From Middle English sightlye, equivalent to sight + -ly. Cognate with German sichtlich (“visible”).

sightseeing

Origin

A compound of sight and seeing.

sightseer

Origin

From sight + seer.

sigma

Ancient Greek

From Ancient Greek sigma, likely from a root associated with hissing sounds, referencing the letter's "s" sound.

Sigmund

German

From Old High German sigu, "victory," and munt, "protection."

sign

Latin

From Old French signe and Old English seġn, both going back to Latin signum ("mark, token").

signage

Origin

From sign + the collective suffix -age.

signal

Late Latin

From Old French segnal and Late Latin signalis, from Latin signum ("sign").

signalise

Origin

From signal + -ise.

signatory

Origin

From Latin signatorius.

signature

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin signatura, from Latin signare ("to sign, mark"), from signum ("sign").

signboard

Origin

From sign + board.

signet

Origin

From Old French signet (“small seal”), from Medieval Latin signētum, diminutive of Latin signum (“sign”).

significance

Latin

From Latin significantia, related to significare ("to signify").

significant

Latin

From Latin significans, present participle of significare ("to signify, indicate").

significant other

English

Originally a term from social psychology for any person whose opinion strongly shapes one's sense of self, later narrowed in everyday use to a romantic partner.

signification

Origin

From Old French significacion, from Latin significātiō.

signify

Latin

From Old French signifier, from Latin significare, from signum ("sign") + facere ("to make").

signora

Italian

Borrowed directly from Italian signora, the feminine form of signore.

signore

Latin

Borrowed from Italian signore, related to French seigneur and Spanish señor — all ultimately from Latin senior.

signorina

Italian

Borrowed from Italian signorina, a diminutive of signora.

signpost

Origin

A compound of sign and post.

Sigrid

Old Norse

From Old Norse sigr, "victory," and fríðr, "beautiful."

Sigurd

Old Norse

From Old Norse Sigurðr, from sigr (“victory”) + varðr, vǫrðr (“guard”). This is the name of the legendary Eddaic character corresponding to Siegfried, the hero of the Nibelungenlied, but the names are not exact cognates. Sigfrid is a saint's name in Scandinavia.

sike

Origin

From Northern Middle English sike, from Old English sīċ (see sitch), possibly also from or related to Old Norse sík; both from Proto-Germanic *sīką (“slow flowing water; trickle”). Cognate with Norwegian sik. Compare Scots sheuch.

Sikh

Origin

Borrowed from Punjabi sikkha, meaning "disciple" or "learner".

sil

Latin

From Latin sil (“a kind of yellow earth, ochre”).

Silas

Latin

From Latin silva, "forest, woodland."

sile

Origin

From Middle English syle, from Old English sȳl (“column, pillar, support”), from Proto-West Germanic *sūli, from Proto-Germanic *sūliz (“beam, post, column, pillar”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱsewl-, *ḱswel- (“log”), from *ḱsew-, *ḱes- (“to scratch, comb”). Cognate with Dutch zuil (“pillar”), German Säule (“column, pillar”), Norwegian søyle (“pillar”), Icelandic súla (“column”), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌿𐌻𐍃 (sauls, “pillar”).

silence

Latin

From Old French silence, from Latin silentium, from silere ("to be silent").

silencer

Origin

From silence plus the agent suffix -er, meaning "something that makes quiet."

silene

Latin

The chemistry sense is a coined term modeled on "alkene," substituting silicon for carbon; the plant genus name Silene is unrelated, from botanical Latin.

silent

Latin

From Latin silens, "being quiet," the present participle of silere, "to be silent."

silhouette

French · 1700

Named after Étienne de Silhouette, an 18th-century French finance minister known for his stinginess — cut-out black-outline portraits were a cheap alternative to painted ones, and the joke stuck.

silica

New Latin

Coined in New Latin from Latin silex, "hard stone, flint."

silicon

Latin

Coined by the Scottish chemist Thomas Thomson, adapting an earlier name from Latin silex, "flint," by analogy with "carbon."