Etymologically
Log in

segít

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 25 October 2026 at 22:34. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • [ˈʃɛɡiːt][1]

Forms

segít[1] Old and regional forms are segéjt, segét and seggit.[2][3][4]

Etymology

The verb belongs with segéd and segedelem, probably inherited words: their stem dates from the Finno-Ugric period, and the derivation is Hungarian.[2][5] The stem is inherited from Proto-Uralic *čäŋkɜ- (“to help”), compared with Erzya čangoďe- (“to help”).[2][5][1][6] A similar Yukaghir verb “to help” is cited too;[2][6] Bouda thought it a loan from Finno-Ugric.[2][6]

The cluster *ŋk became /g/ inside the word, as in ígér and ragad.[2][5] The -ít is the causative suffix;[2][6] ⟨segéd⟩ has the deverbal noun suffix ⟨-é⟩ with ⟨-d⟩, and ⟨segedelem⟩ the suffix ⟨-delem⟩.[2][6] The explanation is uncertain because the Hungarian word has a counterpart in only one, distant related language, and the vowels do not match regularly.[2][5][6]

Budenz compared a Sami verb meaning “to pull”, reasoning that helping someone out of the mud is pulling him out.[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The stem is first recorded in segéd: as a personal name, Seged, in 1181, and in the Funeral Sermon and Prayer of about 1195, hug legenec neki seged uromc scine eleut, “that they may be helpers to him before the face of our Lord”.[2][8] The verb itself appears in the Jókai Codex (after 1372, copy of about 1448): mert akarlac teged segeyteny, “for I want to help you”.[6][2]

Semantic evolution

The first sense was “to help, support someone” in action, with goods or in spirit.[2] Later senses are “to relieve (pain, trouble), to heal” from about 1577, “to be of use” from 1770, and “to strengthen, feed” from 1779.[2][9] Transylvanian records of the 16th and 17th centuries use it for material help and for help in need.[10]

The noun segítség “help” is recorded from about 1493.[2][5] Segél grew out of segéd with the verbal suffix -l, while segély “aid, relief” is a deliberate creation of the language reform.[2] Regional speech has segít a bajánn, jokingly “gives him a beating”.[11][4]

Timeline

  • 1181 – Seged, a personal name.[2]
  • c. 1195 – seged “helper” in the Funeral Sermon and Prayer.[2][8]
  • 1372–1448 – segeyteny “to help” in the Jókai Codex.[2][6]
  • 1490 – megh segytheni in the Szalkai glosses.[2][12]
  • c. 1493 – segítség “help”.[2]
  • c. 1577 – “to relieve, heal”.[2]
  • 1770 – “to be of use”.[2]
  • 1779 – “to strengthen, feed”.[2]

Meanings

Verb

  1. (intransitive, with -nak/-nek) To help, to take part in someone's work: Segítek neked a házi feladatban.[13][1]
  2. (intransitive, with -n/-on/-en/-ön) To help someone in need, by advice or gifts: Segíts rajtam![13][1]
  3. (intransitive) To make a trouble smaller; of a medicine, to relieve: Ez a tea segít a köhögésre.[13]
  4. (transitive, rare) To support someone materially.[13]
  5. (transitive, with lative suffixes) To help someone get somewhere, also to a post or power;[13][1] felsegít to help someone into a coat.[13][1]
  6. (transitive, with -hoz/-hez/-höz) To help someone attain something.[13][1]

Word family

  • segítés
  • segítség
  • segítget
  • segedelem
  • segéd
  • segély

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Gerstner, Károly (ed.) (2006–), Új magyar etimológiai szótár, Budapest: Nyelvtudományi Kutatóközpont; online at uesz.nytud.hu
  3. ^ Szinnyei, József (1893–1901), Magyar tájszótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Hornyánszky, p. 2, 362
  4. ^ a b Csűry, Bálint (1935–1936), Szamosháti szótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Magyar Nyelvtudományi Társaság, p. 2, 291
  5. ^ a b c d e Zaicz, Gábor (ed.) (2006), Etimológiai szótár: magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete, Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Lakó, György (ed.) (1967–1978), A magyar szókészlet finnugor elemei, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 3, 550
  7. ^ Budenz, József (1873–1881), Magyar–ugor összehasonlító szótár, Budapest: Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, p. 336
  8. ^ a b Lakó, György (ed.) (1967–1978), A magyar szókészlet finnugor elemei, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó
  9. ^ Benkő, Loránd (ed.) (1993–1997), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Ungarischen, 3 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 1357
  10. ^ Szabó T., Attila (ed.) (1975–2014), Erdélyi magyar szótörténeti tár, 14 vols., Bukarest: Kriterion / Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó / Kolozsvár: Erdélyi Múzeum-Egyesület, p. 11, 694
  11. ^ Bálint, Sándor (1957), Szegedi szótár, 2 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 2, 397
  12. ^ Berrár, Jolán; Károly, Sándor (1984), Régi magyar glosszárium: szótárak, szójegyzékek és glosszák egyesített szótára, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó
  13. ^ a b c d e f g Bárczi, Géza; Országh, László (eds.) (1959–1962), A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára, 7 vols., Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó; online at ertelmezo.oszk.hu