An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/sagen

by Friedrich Kluge

sagen, vb., ‘to say, tell, utter,’ from the equiv. MidHG. sagen, OHG. sagên; corresponding to OSax. sęggian, LG. seggen, Du. zeggen, AS. sęcgan (from *sagjan). E. to say, and its equiv. OIc. segja. In Goth. both *sagan and every other derivative from the same root are wanting. Teut. sagai-, which comes by the rule of grammatical change from Aryan sokē̆y-, is closely allied to Lith. sakýti, ‘to say,’ OSlov. sočiti, ‘to notify’; with this OLat. insece, ‘I narrate’ (in-sectiones, ‘tales’), is usually connected, as well as the Gr. root σεπ, σεκϝ in ἔννεπε for ἐν-σεπε, ἔ-σπ-ετε, ‘tell (thou or ye).’ OIr. sagim, saigim, ‘I speak, say,’ also point to a similar class. In Rom. only one loan-word of this class is found; comp. Span. sayon, ‘usher’ (of a law-court), lit. ‘speaker.’