seance

Where does the word "seance" come from? It comes from Latin sedere, passing through Old French and French before entering English (1789-1845).

Seance’s story begins in Latin: sedere meant “to sit.” The verb of sitting, occupying a seat. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as seoir. Kept the sense of sitting. From there it passed into French as seance by medieval. A noun for a formal sitting or session. It reached English by 1789-1845 as seance. Entered for any formal sitting, then narrowed to a spiritualist session meant to contact the dead. Today, seance means a meeting where people attempt to communicate with the dead through a medium.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient sedere "to sit", the verb of sitting, occupying a seat.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval seoir "to sit", kept the sense of sitting.
3. Stage 3 · French · medieval seance "a sitting, a session", a noun for a formal sitting or session.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1789-1845 seance "a session to communicate with the dead", entered for any formal sitting, then narrowed to a spiritualist session meant to contact the dead.