*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of sayth

Etymology tree English say Proto-Germanic *-ōþi Proto-West Germanic *-ōþ Old English -aþ Middle English -eth English -eth English sayth From say + -eth.

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
verb

third-person singular simple present indicative of say

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree English say Proto-Germanic *-ōþi Proto-West Germanic *-ōþ Old English -aþ Middle English -eth English -eth English sayth From say + -eth.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "say",
        "4": "-eth<id:third-person singular>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nEnglish say\nProto-Germanic *-ōþi\nProto-West Germanic *-ōþ\nOld English -aþ\nMiddle English -eth\nEnglish -eth\nEnglish sayth\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ōþ\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-aþ\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-eth\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-eth\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"sayth\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"sayth\">\nFrom say + -eth."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "say",
        "4": "-eth<id:third-person singular>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *sekʷ-\nProto-Indo-European *sokʷ-éye-ti\n▲\nProto-Indo-European *sokʷ-h₁-yé-ti\nProto-Germanic *sagjaną\nProto-West Germanic *saggjan\nOld English seċġan\nMiddle English seien\nEnglish say\nProto-Germanic *-ōþi\nProto-West Germanic *-ōþ\nOld English -aþ\nMiddle English -eth\nEnglish -eth\nEnglish sayth\nFrom say + -eth."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "say",
      "say#English"
    ],
    [
      "*-ōþi",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-ōþi"
    ],
    [
      "*-ōþ",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-ōþ"
    ],
    [
      "-aþ",
      "-aþ#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "-eth",
      "-eth#Middle_English:_third-person_singular"
    ],
    [
      "-eth",
      "-eth#English:_third-person_singular"
    ],
    [
      "say",
      "say#English"
    ],
    [
      "-eth",
      "-eth#English:_third-person_singular"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "third-person singular simple present indicative of say"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "form-of",
        "indicative",
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ],
      "recordId": "08128b3d2f2f340bc1649e7eaa662c51108f3d3109c4211bca7612abc3ba7e47",
      "rawRecordSha256": "0a260fa9106b715bbee32f3db83c522eed21c16fe304bacbdec9c0d494ef901b",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1442531
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for sayth →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-c2F5dGg