Etymology
1. O.E.
secan "visit, inquire, pursue," influenced by O.N.
soekja, both from P.Gmc.
*sokjanan (cf. O.S.
sokian, O.Fris.
seka, M.Du.
soekan, O.H.G.
suohhan, Ger.
suchen, Goth.
sokjan), from PIE
*sag- "to track down, to trace" (cf. L.
sagire "to perceive quickly or keenly,"
sagus "presaging, predicting," O.Ir.
saigim "seek"). The modern form of the word as uninfluenced by O.N. is in beseech. The religious sect of the
Seekers is attested from 1645.
2. From Middle English seke, seken, from Old English sēċan, sēċean, sœ̄ċan, from Proto-West Germanic *sōkijan, from Proto-Germanic *sōkijaną (“to seek”), from Proto-Indo-European *séh₂gyeti (“to seek out”), from *seh₂g- (“to follow, trace”).
3. Cognates
4. Cognate with Yola zeek (“to seek”), North Frisian schük, sjuk, säke (“to search, seek”), Saterland Frisian säike (“to search, seek”), West Frisian sykje (“to seek”), Alemannic German sueche, süeche (“to search, seek”), Bavarian suacha, suachn (“to search”), Central Franconian söke (“to search”), Cimbrian züuchan (“to seek”), Dutch zoeken (“to seek”), Low German söken (“to seek”), German suchen (“to seek”), Luxembourgish sichen (“to seek; to fetch”), Vilamovian zihia, zihja (“to seek”), Yiddish זוכן (zukhn, “to search, seek”), Danish søge (“to seek; to apply”), Faroese søkja (“to seek”), Icelandic sækja (“to seek”), Norwegian Bokmål søke (“to seek; to apply”), Norwegian Nynorsk søka, søke, søkja, søkje (“to seek; to apply”), Swedish söka (“to search”), Gothic 𐍃𐍉𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (sōkjan, “to seek”); also Cornish hedhes (“to reach; to achieve; to manage”), Welsh haeddu (“to deserve, merit”), Latin sāgiō (“to perceive quickly or keenly with the senses”), Ancient Greek ἡγέομαι (hēgéomai, “to go before, precede; to lead; to believe, hold”), Albanian gjegj (“to answer; to obey”), Hittite 𒊭𒀀𒆠𒄑𒍣 (ša-a-ki-ez-zi, “to seek out”).
5. The Middle English and later Modern English hard /k/ derives from Old English sēcð, the third person singular. See: Proto-Germanic '
*sōkijaną', Proto-Indo-European '
*séh₂gyeti', Frisian, Saterlandic 'säike', Alemannic German '
sueche', Bavarian 'suacha', Cimbrian 'züuchan', Dutch '
zoeken', Low Saxon 'söken', German, old spelling '
suchen', Luxembourgish '
sichen', Wymysorys '
zihia', Danish '
søge', Faroese '
søkja', Icelandic '
sækja', Norwegian '
søke', Norwegian, nynorsk '
søka', Swedish '
söka', Cornish '
hedhes', Welsh '
haeddu', Latin '
sāgiō', Albanian '
gjegj'.
Verbs referencing "seek"
Spanish
sacar, German, old spelling
suchen, Finnish with old forms
hakea, Latin
sagio, Danish
søge, German, Pennsylvania
suche, Alemannic German
sueche, Luxembourgish
sichen, Old Irish
saigid.