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sow (v.)

Middle English souen, from Old English sawan "to scatter seed upon the ground or plant it in the earth, disseminate" (class VII strong verb; past tense seow, past participle sawen), from Proto-Germanic *sean (source also of Old Norse sa, Old Saxon saian, Middle Dutch sayen, Dutch zaaien, Old High German sawen, German säen, Gothic saian).

This is reconstructed to be from PIE root *sē- "to sow," source of semen, season (n.), seed (n.). The figurative sense of "spread abroad, disseminate" was in Old English; of physical things other than seed, "scatter over, besprinkle," mid-14c. Related: Sowed, sown; sowing. Sowing machine "device for sowing seed" is by 1812.

sow (n.)

Middle English soue, from Old English sugu, su "female of the swine, adult female hog," from Proto-Germanic *su- (source also of Old Saxon, Old High German su, German Sau, Dutch zeug, Old Norse syr).

This is held to be from PIE root *su- (source also of Sanskrit sukarah "wild boar, swine;" Avestan hu "wild boar;" Greek hys "swine;" Latin sus "swine," swinus "pertaining to swine;" Old Church Slavonic svinija "swine;" Lettish sivens "young pig;" Welsh hucc, Irish suig "swine; Old Irish socc "snout, plowshare"). The root is possibly imitative of pig noise, a notion reinforced by the fact that Sanskrit sukharah means "maker of (the sound) 'su.' "

Related to swine. As a term of abuse for a woman, attested from c. 1500. Sowbug "hog-louse, pill-bug" is from 1750; sow in reference to any terrestrial isopod that can roll itself into a ball is from 15c. Also sow-lice (1650s).

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Trends of sow

updated on April 06, 2023

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