Etymology
1. O.E.
singan "to chant, sing, tell in song," also used of birds (class III strong verb; past tense
sang, pp.
sungen), from P.Gmc.
*sengwanan (cf. O.Fris.
sionga, M.Du.
singhen, O.H.G.
singan, Ger.
singen, Goth.
siggwan, O.N.
syngva, Swed.
sjunga), from PIE base
*sengwh- "to sing, make an incantation." No related forms in other languages, unless perhaps it is connected to Gk.
omphe "voice" (especially of a god), "oracle;" and Welsh
dehongli "explain, interpret." The typical IE root is represented by L.
canere (see chant). Other words meaning "sing" derive from roots meaning "cry, shout," but Ir.
gaibim is lit. "take, seize," with sense evolution via "take up" a song or melody. The criminal slang sense of "to confess to authorities" is attested from 1612.
Singsong (adj.) is first recorded 1734, from earlier use as a noun (1609).
2. From Middle English singen, from Old English singan (“to sing”), from Proto-West Germanic *singwan, from Proto-Germanic *singwaną (“to sing”), from Proto-Indo-European *sengʷʰ- (“to recite, sing”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian sjunge (“to sing”), West Frisian sjonge (“to sing”), Dutch zingen (“to sing”), German Low German singen (“to sing”), German singen (“to sing”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål synge (“to sing”), Swedish sjunga (“to sing”), Norwegian Nynorsk, Faroese, and Icelandic syngja (“to sing”), Ancient Greek ὀμφή (omphḗ, “voice, oracle”). See: Middle English '
singen', Old English '
singan', Proto-Germanic '
*singwaną', Frisian, Saterlandic 'sjunge', Dutch '
zingen', German, old spelling '
singen', Swedish '
sjunga'.
Verbs referencing "sing"
German, Pennsylvania
singe, Luxembourgish
sangen, Norwegian, nynorsk
syngja.