Sye v.¹

Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 1 siʓan, 3 siȝe, sihe, sie, 3–5 seȝe, 4–5 sye, (4 seige ?, 5 syeȝe, cy(e, cygh, 3rd sing. seis, 9 dial. sigh). Pa. t. α. 1–3 sah, (1 saaʓ, sagh, pl. siʓon), 2–3 sæh, 3 seh, soh, 4–5 sey; β. 5 seit, seyt, seyit. Pa. pple. 1 siʓen, 3 isiȝe(n, isihen, 4 seȝen. [OE. síʓan, pa. t. sáh (older saaʓ), siʓon, pa. pple. siʓen, = MLG., MDu. sigen, pa. t. seeg, seech, seghen, pa. pple. gesehen to sink (Du. zijgen intr. to sink down, droop), OHG. sîgan, pa. t. sêg, sigen, pa. pple. sigen to fall, fall in drops (MHG. sîgen, G. seigen to strain), ON. síga to sink gently down, glide, move slowly, pa. t. seig, sé, sigum, pa. pple. siginn (MDa. sighe, sige wk.).

  The orig. meaning was prob. ‘to fall in drops’; cf. the related forms L. siat makes water (= *sijat:—*sigat), OHG. seihhen to make water, ON. sík, síki ditch, trench, and Skr. siñcáti, sécate pours out, OSl. sīcati to make water, and SYE v.², the forms of which in Engl. and the cognate langs. are often indistinguishable from those of this verb.]

  1.  intr. To sink, fall, descend (lit. and fig.); to collapse.

Beowulf, 1251 (Gr.). Siʓon þa to slæpe.

c. 888.  Ælfred, Boeth., xxxiii. § 5. Ne nanwuht eorðlices hi ne healt þæt hio ne siʓe. Ibid. (c. 897), Gregory’s Past. C., xix. 142. Ða men þe siʓað on ðisses middanʓeardes lufan.

c. 960.  O. E. Chron. (Parker MS.), an. 937. Siðþan sunne up on morgen tid … oð sio æþele ʓesceaft sah to setle.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 109. Þe sunne … arist anes â daí and eft sigeð.

c. 1205.  Lay., 10255. Þa þe king sah to grunde. Ibid., 27635. His fule saule sæh in to helle.

a. 1330.  Otuel, 1393. He sey doun of his stede.

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, V. 182. For whan she gan here fader fer aspye, Wel neigh doun on here hors she gan to sye.

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, xliii. (Cecile), 535. A bose, of wynd Þat fillit ware, & with a prene Mocht out be latine … & seige[?], and to-giddire fal.

a. 1400–50.  Wars Alex., 980 (Ashmole MS.). He seis [Dubl. MS. sittes] doune in þe sete with septer in hande.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 6644. He gird to þat greke … Þat he seyt to þe soile, & soght out of lyue.

1896.  Warwicksh. Gloss., Sigh, to fade, decrease. ‘This pimple’s beginning to sigh.’

  2.  To go, proceed; fig. to proceed or come from a source, be derived.

Beowulf, 307. (Gr.) Guman onetton, siʓon ætsomne.

c. 1052.  O. E. Chron. (MS. C.), an. 1052. Godwine sah him æfre to werd Lundenes.

c. 1205.  Lay., 23811. Seoððen þer gunnen ut siȝen sixti þusende Bruttes.

a. 1225.  Leg. Kath., 2055. Þet heaðene folc þet alle weren isihen hider.

c. 1230.  Hali Meid., 47. Wið þene seli brudgume þet siheð alle selhðe of.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 2512. Then he … Seyit furth with sory chere. Ibid., 7129. After settyng of þe Sun þai Seyn to þe ȝates.

a. 1400–50.  Wars Alex. (Ashmole MS), 2182. He seȝis to þe Synagog.

  b.  To come, arrive (fig. of a condition, time, etc.); occas. to befall, happen.

c. 1205.  Lay., 2918. & scoððen þer seh [c. 1275 soh] toward swiðe muchel seorwe. Ibid., 4023. Þa wes þe muchele speche … of þare seoreȝe þe isiȝe wes to lond. Ibid., 4566. He þoðte heo to habben to his awere bihoue, & oðer weis hit sæht [? read sæh]. Ibid., 24043. Þe dæi sæh to burhȝe þe Arður iset hafde.

13[?].  Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1958. Til þe sesoun was seȝen, þat þay seuer moste.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 3398. When yt seyit to Sopertyme.

  c.  To sye hethen (= hence) or of life, to depart this life, die.

13[?].  Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1879. He … prayed hym … Þat he wolde … lern hym … How his sawle schulde be saued, when he schuld seye heþen.

a. 1400–50.  Wars Alex., 716 (Ashmole MS.). Wele semys slike a sacchell to syeȝe þus of lyfe! Ibid., 4333. Ne seȝes na segge of oure sede sodanly of lyue.

  Hence Sying vbl. sb.¹, sinking, etc.

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 77/1. Cyynge downe, or swownynge (P. cyghinge or swonynge downe), sincopacio. Ibid., 455/2. Syynge downe, or swonynge, sincopacio.