say

say¹ to utter, express in words

Etymology

The verb is inherited from Middle English seien, early also seggen,^[2][3][4] inherited from Old English secgan (“to utter, inform, speak, tell”),^[5][3][6][7] from Proto-Germanic *sagjaną (“to say”).^[5][8][9] It is cognate with Old Frisian sedza, Old Saxon seggian, Middle Dutch segghen, Dutch zeggen, Old High German sagēn, German sagen and Old Norse segja.^[3][6][10] The OED takes these as probably from an ablaut variant of the same base as Lithuanian sakyti (“to say”), Welsh hebu (“to say”), Ancient Greek ἔννεπε (énnepe, “tell, say (imperative)”) and Old Latin insece.^[6] Watkins and Barnhart reconstruct Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ- (“to say, utter”);^[5][3][7] some identify it with the root meaning "to follow", others doubt this, and Boutkan finds no certain Indo-European etymology for the Germanic words.^[5] Ayto thinks the base first meant "to point out".^[11] The modern forms come from the Old English stem sæġ-, which replaced the forms in secg- in Middle English.^[12][6] The past tense said goes back to segde.^[5][3] The noun is formed from the verb,^{[6][5][3][12]} and the adverb is its imperative.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

To tell, declare, utter: about 725, as secgan in Beowulf,^[3][6] and with the spoken words given, in the West Saxon Gospels.^[6] Bosworth–Toller glosses it as saying written or spoken words, reciting a poem and telling of something.^[13] The Middle English form is first recorded before 1121, in the Peterborough Chronicle.^[3]

Semantic evolution

The word's main uses were already present in Old English: stating a fact or opinion, reciting a prayer, and the impersonal it is said.^[6][5] Later uses transfer speech to things that convey a message without speaking: a person's face or manner from before 1450,^[6] a clock from 1615,^[6] and a sign or notice from 1918;^[6] Etymonline finds inanimate subjects only from 1930.^[5] From the 1580s shall we say carried the idea "suppose, take for granted".^[5] The same idea gave the use with a clause, "suppose", from before 1596,^[6][5] and it weakened to mark a supposed case or example (1736) and "about, roughly" before a number (1817).^[6] Merriam-Webster dates the adverb to about 1596.^[4] An exclamation of surprise or of appeal for attention appears by about 1830.^[6][5]

The noun first meant a saying or proverb (1486),^[6] then the words a person says (1571),^[6][3] and it was used for the right to influence a decision from 1614, in have a say.^[6][3] Earlier in that sense was have a saying, from the late 15th century.^[5] Say-so is recorded from the 1630s for a personal assertion, and for authority from 1896 in Etymonline and 1902 in Barnhart.^[5][3] The ay spelling appeared between about 1300 and 1380 and became established in the 1600s.^[3] In dialect to say again meant to find fault with, and say awa to go on with what one is saying.^[14] Johnson (1755) defined the noun as "a speech; what one has to say".^[15]

Timeline

• c. 725 – secgan, to utter, say, in Beowulf.^[3]
• before 1121 – Middle English seien, seggen.^[3]
• c. 1275 – with an interjection, to say farewell.^[6]
• c. 1430 – of an animal, to make its cry, in Chaucer.^[6]
• 1486 – noun, a saying, a proverb.^[6]
• 1571 – noun, the words a person says.^[6][3][4]
• before 1596 – to suppose, assume.^[6]
• 1614 – noun, a right to influence a decision.^[6][3]
• 1615 – of a clock, to indicate the time.^[6]
• 1736 – marking a supposed case or example.^[6]
• 1779 – you don't say, expressing astonishment.^[5]
• 1817 – about, before a number.^[6]
• by 1830 – interjection of surprise.^[5][6]
• 1838 – noun, the say, the right to make the final decision, first in the United States.^[6]
• 1918 – of a sign or notice, to bear a message.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To utter aloud; to pronounce: The toddler said “Bye-bye”.^[7][16][6]
2. To express in words; to state or declare: Say what you think.^[7][16][4]
3. To state as an opinion or as a matter of fact: It's too soon to say who will win.^[7][16]
4. To report or allege; in the passive, to be reputed: She is said to be very rich.^[7][16][6]
5. To recite or repeat: to say grace.^[7][16][6]
6. Of a clock, sign, text or the like, to indicate or show: The kitchen clock said ten past six.^[7][6]
7. To suppose or assume: Let's say they refuse.^[7][16][6]

Noun

1. A turn or chance to speak; an opportunity to give one's opinion: Everyone at the meeting had their say.^[7][4][6]
2. The right or power to influence a decision: The tenants want some say in the plan.^[7][6]
3. the say: the right to make the final decision.^[6]
4. (archaic) Something said; a statement.^[7][4]

Adverb

1. Approximately: We'll need, say, thirty chairs.^[7][4][6]
2. For instance: a stringed instrument, say a cello.^[7][4][6]

Interjection

1. Used to express surprise or to attract attention.^[7][6]

Word family

• sayer
• saying
• say-so
• sayable
• gainsay
• naysay
• naysayer
• soothsayer
• daresay

say² woollen cloth

Etymology

The woollen cloth is borrowed from Anglo-Norman say, also seie, and Middle French saie,^[6][17] apparently from Medieval Latin sagia (“a kind of fabric”),^[6] from Latin sagum (“military cloak”).^[6][4] Hoad, the Shorter Oxford and Klein instead derive the French word from saga, the plural of sagum taken as a singular.^[12][18][10] The Latin word is the same as late Ancient Greek σάγος (ságos) and is said to be of Gaulish origin.^[6][4] The Old French word is recorded from the late 12th century,^[6] and the Anglo-Norman one from the later 13th.^[17] It is compared with Spanish saya, Portuguese saia, Italian saia and Dutch saai.^[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

A light, twilled woollen fabric like serge: 1286–9, in a record printed in Historical Essays in Honour of James Tait.^[6] Dictionary.com gives the period 1250–1300.^[19]

Semantic evolution

In the Wycliffite Bible and until about 1425 the word could also mean a curtain.^[6] The cloth was used for aprons, bedding and curtains; since the 17th century it has commonly been green.^[6] Merriam-Webster notes that it was worn especially by Quakers and members of religious orders.^[4] Weekley recalls that Colchester was once famous for "bays and says", and thinks the word was probably confused in English with seie, silk.^[20] The Shorter Oxford says that it first contained silk and was later usually of wool.^[18] In Scotland it was a cloth that families made for their own use, and Wright records it as obsolete or nearly so in Scotland, Yorkshire, Suffolk and Sussex.^[14]

Timeline

• 1286 – a light woollen fabric like serge.^[6]
• before 1382 – a curtain (obsolete by 1425).^[6]
• 1531 – adjective, made of this cloth.^[6]
• 1714 – a thread of the yarn used for it (once only).^[6]

Meanings

Noun

1. A fine, light, twilled woollen cloth resembling serge: an apron of green say.^[6][4][18]

Adjective

1. Made of this cloth.^[6][18]