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Origin and history of seeming

seeming(adj.)

"that appears to be (real, proper, etc.), apparent to the senses or mind, having a semblance or appearance of being real," mid-14c., present-participle adjective from seem Also "suitable, becoming" (mid-14c.); "worthy of respect, honorable" (late 14c.), but these are obsolete. As a noun, "act of appearing," late 14c. Seemingly (adv.) in the sense of "to all appearances" is recorded from 1590s; earlier it meant "fittingly, properly (early 15c.), "in the correct or pleasing manner" (c. 1200).

seeming(n.)

"act or fact of appearing to be," late 14c., verbal noun from seem (v.).

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to seeming

seem(v.)

c. 1200, impersonal, hit semeth (it seems), "it appears (that something is so);" also with adjectives or phrases, "to appear to be (in some condition), have or present an appearance of being," from Old Norse soema "to honor; to put up with; to conform to (the world, etc.)," a verb derived from the adjective soemr "fitting."

This is reconstructed to be from Proto-Germanic *somiz (source also of Old English som "agreement, reconciliation," seman "to conciliate," source of Middle English semen "to settle a dispute," literally "to make one;" Old Danish söme "to be proper or seemly"), from PIE *somi-, suffixed form of root *sem- (1) "one; as one, together with" (also compare same).

With other verbs (seem to be, etc.) from c. 1200. Sense of "appear to oneself, think oneself" is from 1630s. Also in Middle English "to present oneself, appear; be visible, be apparent" (late 14c.), hence, of a fact, etc., "be evident, apparent, or obvious." The sense of "be fitting or appropriate, be expedient" (c. 1300) is the etymological one, but it is obsolete except in derived seemly, unseemly. Related: Seemed; seeming.

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    apparent
    late 14c., "indisputable, clearly understood;" c. 1400, "easily seen or perceived," from Old French aparant "evident, obvious, visible," from Latin apparentem (nominative apparens) "visible, manifest," present participle of apparere "appear, come in sight" (see appear). First att
    ostensible
    1730, "capable of being shown, that can be shown or seen, presentable," from French ostensible, from Latin ostens-, past-participle stem of ostendere "to show, expose to view; to stretch out, spread before; exhibit, display," from assimilated form of ob "in front of" (see ob-) +
    mimosa
    So called because some species (including the common Sensitive Plant) fold leaves when touched, seeming to mimic animal behavior...
    palpable
    The figurative sense of "easily perceived, evident, clear, obvious" also is from late 14c., on the notion of "seeming as...
    prattle
    . ; chatter is incessant or abundant talk, seeming rather foolish and sounding pretty much alike ; babble or babbling is...
    mirage
    The figurative sense of "deceptiveness of appearance, a delusive seeming" is by 1812....
    phantasm
    mid-13c., fantesme, "that which has only seeming reality, permanence, or value;" c. 1300 as "an illusory experience or object...
    glitter
    c. 1300, glideren (late 14c. as gliteren), from an unrecorded Old English word or from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse glitra "to glitter," from Proto-Germanic *glit- "shining, bright" (source also of Old English glitenian "to glitter, shine; be distinguished," Old High G
    shine
    Middle English shinen, from Old English scinan "shed, send forth, or give out light; be radiant, be resplendent, illuminate," of persons, "be conspicuous" (class I strong verb; past tense scan, past participle scinen). This is reconstructed to be from Proto-Germanic *skeinanan (s
    make
    Old English macian "to give being to, give form or character to, bring into existence; construct, do, be the author of, produce; prepare, arrange, cause; behave, fare, transform," from West Germanic *makōjanan "to fashion, fit" (source also of Old Saxon makon, Old Frisian makia "

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