An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/selten

by Friedrich Kluge

selten, adjective and adverb, ‘rare, rarely,’ from Middle High German sëlten, Old High German sëltan, adverb, ‘rarely’; corresponding to the equivalent Anglo-Saxon sëldan, adverb, English seldom, Old Icelandic sjaldan, Old Frisian sielden, adverb. The corresponding adjective is Old High German sëltsâni, Middle High German sëltsœne (Anglo-Saxon sëld-sêne), ‘rare, strange,’ the suffix of which has been supplanted in Modern High German by the more familiar -sam. In Gothic sildaleiks, ‘wonderful,’ to which is allied Gothic sildaleikjan, ‘to be astonished’ (akin to Anglo-Saxon syllîč, English silly). Cognate terms in the non-Teutonic languages are wanting.