sow
To plant seeds by scattering them on the ground.
Etymology
From Old English sāwan "to sow, plant," from Proto-Germanic *sēaną, from PIE *seh₁- "to sow, to plant." This is fundamental agricultural vocabulary, reflecting the transition to farming. The PIE root also gives "seed" and "season" (the time for sowing).
The Journey: *seh₁- → sow
*seh₁-
*sēaną
sāwan
sow
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *seh₁-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word |
|---|---|
| Latin | serere (to sow) |
| Welsh | hau |
| Gothic | saian |
| Russian | sejatĭ |
| Old Irish | sīl (seed) |
| Lithuanian | sė́ti |
Did You Know?
PIE *seh₁- gives English "sow," "seed," and "season" (Latin satiō "sowing time"). The "season" was originally the time of year for planting.
This word descends from the Proto-Indo-European root *seh₁-. See the full root page for descendant trees, sound law references, and scholarly discussion.