Middle English word sayen comes from Proto-Italic *sekʷōr (Follow, come/go after.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *sekʷōr | Proto-Italic (itc-pro) | Follow, come/go after. |
| *sekʷ- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | to follow , to say, to accompany, to follow, to see, notice, to follow, accompany, to see |
| sector | Latin (lat) | I follow continually, attend, accompany.. I follow after, pursue, chase.. I seek after/out One who cuts or cuts off, cutter.. A purchaser or bidder at a sale of confiscated goods. (feminine: sectrix). |
| *sokʷ-h₁-yé- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *sagjaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To say. |
| seċġan | Old English (ang) | |
| sayen | Middle English (enm) |