season
/ˈsiːzən/
noun
Origin
Latin
satio — sowing, planting
Overview
Meaning Now
- each of the four divisions of the year (spring, summer, autumn, winter) marked by particular weather patterns and daylight hours.
- a period of the year characterized by a particular activity, climate, or event.
- a substance added to food to enhance its flavor.
Literal older meaning
sowing time
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
seson
Earliest period
13th century
Journey
The word originally referred specifically to the time of sowing seeds in agriculture. In medieval usage, it expanded to mean any 'appropriate time' for an action, and eventually evolved to denote the recurring climatic cycles of the year.
Evolution
- Latin
sationem
“sowing, time of sowing”
Accusative case of satio
- Old French
seison
“suitable time; time for sowing”
- Middle English
seson
“a specific period of time”
Introduced via Anglo-Norman
Connections
Word parts
season
root
period of time
Related across languages
French
saison
season
Spanish
sazón
seasoning, ripeness
Italian
stagione
season
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Related to season
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.