sail English · revision 10476

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 888|origins=gem-pro *seglą}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /seɪl/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is Middle English seil, [[inh|ang|segl|t=sail, veil, curtain]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) from Proto-Germanic *seglom,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) source also of Old Norse segl, Dutch zeil and German [[m|de|Segel]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) of obscure or unknown origin with no known cognates outside Germanic;^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) Irish seol and Welsh hwyl are borrowed from Germanic.^(Etymonline) Barnhart suggests it was originally a piece of cloth cut off, distantly related to [[saw]].^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A piece of canvas spread to catch the wind and drive a vessel: about 888 in the OED, before 899 in Alfred's Boethius in Barnhart.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Sails collectively are from about 1385.^(OED 1989) The verb, Old English seglian, to travel on water by sail,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) was later extended to travel by steam or other power,^(Etymonline) and to set out on a voyage is from about 1200.^(Etymonline) The arm of a windmill is from the 15th century,^(Hoad 1986) and figuratively something spread like a sail from 1616.^(OED 1989) The noun, a voyage, is from the early 16th century.^(SOED 2002) ''To take the wind out of someone's sails'' is from 1888.^(Etymonline) ''Sailor'', at first sayler, was altered to look like agent nouns in -or such as tailor.^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 888 – a sail.^(OED 1989)

+ * before 899 – to sail (verb).^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1200 – to set out on a voyage.^(Etymonline)

+ * 15th century – a windmill sail.^(Hoad 1986)

+ * early 16th century – a voyage (noun).^(SOED 2002)

+ * 1888 – take the wind out of someone's sails.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A piece of fabric attached to a vessel's mast and rigging to catch the wind and drive it along.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A trip in a sailing boat.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A sailing ship, or ships collectively.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # Something resembling a sail, such as the arm of a windmill.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To travel on water, especially in a sailing vessel.^(AHD)

+ # To set out on a voyage.^(AHD)

+ # To steer or manage a boat.^(AHD)

+ # To move swiftly, smoothly or effortlessly.^(AHD)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[sailed]]

+ * [[sailable]]

+ * [[sailless]]

+ * [[spritsail]]

+ * [[foresail]]

+ * [[forestaysail]]

+ * [[headsail]]

+ * [[lugsail]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[sailor]]

+ * [[sailboat]]

+ * [[saw]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}