Etymology Map
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Besiege

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means to surround with armed forces

Where does the word "besiege" come from? It comes from Latin sedere, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
sedere
Latin · ancient
"to sit"
the root of 'siege', a sitting down before a town
2
Stage 2 of 3
asegier
Old French · medieval
"to besiege"
'be-' was added in English in place of French 'a-'
3
Stage 3 of 3
besiege
English · 1300s
"to lay siege"
'besieged by reporters' dates from the 1800s
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Read the full story

Besiege’s story begins in Latin: sedere meant “to sit.” The root of 'siege', a sitting down before a town. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as asegier. 'be-' was added in English in place of French 'a-'. It reached English by 1300s as besiege. 'besieged by reporters' dates from the 1800s. Today, besiege means to surround with armed forces.