Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/sětiti

This Proto-Slavic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

From *sětь (“net, grid”) +‎ *-iti, which ultimately descends from *sh₂ey- (“to bind”). Cognates include Lithuanian saisti (“to guess”), Proto-Germanic *siduz (“custom”), Welsh hud (“magic”).

The etymon is present only in South Slavic. Its original meaning probably was to make a connection, which eventually evolved into to recall a memory > to remember. Despite the superficial resemblance, the current etynom is distinct from *(u)sętiti (“to sense”).

*sětiti pf

1. to recall, remember

• *podъsětiti (“to remind”)

• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Old Cyrillic script: сѣтити (sětiti)

    Glagolitic script: ⱄⱑⱅⰻⱅⰻ (sětiti)

  • Bulgarian: сѐщам се (sèštam se)
  • Macedonian: сети (seti)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: се̏тити

    Latin script: sȅtiti

• Derksen, Rick (2008) “*sětь”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 448

From Proto-Indo-European *swēt-. Cognate with Lithuanian svẽčias (“guest”), Ancient Greek ἕταρος (hétaros, “comrade”). Per Derksen, the lengthened grade of the root is unexpected. The Indo-European root comes from the more basic root *swé (“self”) with a root extension.

The semantic shift relative, kin > to host is similar in nature to the development of Germanic *fulgāną (“to follow”) from *fulką (“people”). In both cases, the original meaning likely was to establish good relation with your relatives, which eventually evolved into to host or to follow, respectively.

*sětiti impf

1. to host or participate in a gathering

• *svatъ (“kinsman”)
• *svekrъ (“father-in-law”), *svekry (“mother-in-law”)
• *svojь (“own”)
• *posětiti (“to visit”)

• Old Church Slavonic:

  Cyrillic: сѣтити (sětiti)

• Chernykh, P. Ja. (1993) “посети́ть”, in Историко-этимологический словарь русского языка (in Russian), 3rd edition, volume 2 (панцирь – ящур), Moscow: Russian Lang., →ISBN, page 60
• Derksen, Rick (2008) “*posětiti”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 414
• Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “посети́ть”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка (in Russian), Moscow: Progress