secg

Middle English

Noun

secg

1. Alternative form of segge (“sedge”)

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sejj/, [sed͡ʒ]

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *sagi, from Proto-Germanic *sagjaz, from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“follower, companion”).

Germanic cognates include Old Frisian siā, Old Saxon segg, Old Norse seggr (Norwegian segg). The Indo-European root is also the source of Latin socius.

Noun

seċġ m

1. (poetic) man, warrior, hero
   • 10th century, The Wanderer:

     þonne māga ġemynd · mōd ġeondhweorfeð,
     grēteð glīwstafum, · ġeorne ġeondsċēawað
     seċġa ġeseldan. · Swimmað oft on weġ.

     when mind goes through memory of kinsmen,
     greets with mirths, eagerly looks through
     comrades of men. They often swim away.

2. Abbreviation of gārseċġ.

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	seċġ	seċġas
accusative	seċġ	seċġas
genitive	seċġes	seċġa
dative	seċġe	seċġum

Descendants

• Middle English: segge
  • English: segge, seg
  • Scots: seg

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *sagjō.

Noun

seċġ f (nominative plural seċġa or seċġe)

1. (poetic) sword

Declension

Strong i-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	seċġ	seċġe, seċġa
accusative	seċġ, seċġe	seċġe, seċġa
genitive	seċġe	seċġa
dative	seċġe	seċġum

See also

• bil n
• mēċe m
• sweord n

Etymology 3

From Proto-West Germanic *sagi, from Proto-Germanic *sagjaz, from Proto-Indo-European *sak- (“marsh plant”) (probably related to Etymology 2). Cognate with Middle Low German segge, Dutch zegge, Russian осо́ка (osóka).

Noun

seċġ m or n

1. sedge
   • The Old English rune poem

     ᛉ seċġ eard hæfþ oftust on fenne...

     Elk-sedge has its home most often in the fen...

Declension

Masculine

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	seċġ	seċġas
accusative	seċġ	seċġas
genitive	seċġes	seċġa
dative	seċġe	seċġum

Neuter

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	seċġ	seċġ
accusative	seċġ	seċġ
genitive	seċġes	seċġa
dative	seċġe	seċġum

Descendants

• Middle English: segge, secg, seg, cegge, sege
  • English: sedge
  • Scots: seg