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Origin and history of senses

senses(n.)

"one's mental faculties, conscious cognitive powers, sanity," 1560s, from sense (n.). The meaning "faculties of physical sensation" is from 1590s.

also from 1560s

Entries linking to senses

sense(n.)

late 14c., "meaning, signification, interpretation" (especially of Holy Scripture); c. 1400, "the faculty of perception;" from Old French sens "one of the five senses; meaning; wit, understanding" (12c.) and directly from Latin sensus "perception, feeling, undertaking, meaning," from sentire "perceive, feel, know."

This probably is a figurative use of a literal meaning "find one's way," or "go mentally." According to Watkins and others, this is from a PIE root *sent- "to go" (source also of Old High German sinnan "to go, travel, strive after, have in mind, perceive," German Sinn "sense, mind," Old English sið "way, journey," Old Irish set, Welsh hynt "way").

The application to any one of the external or outward senses (touch, sight, hearing, any special faculty of sensation connected with a bodily organ) in English is recorded from 1520s. They usually are reckoned as five; sometimes a "muscular sense" and "inner (common) sense" are added (perhaps to make the perfect seven), hence the old phrase the seven senses, sometimes meaning "consciousness in its totality." For the meaning "consciousness, mind generally," see senses.

The meaning "that which is wise, judicious, sensible, or intelligent" is from c. 1600. The meaning "capacity for perception and appreciation" also is from c. 1600 (as in sense of humor, attested by 1783, sense of shame, 1640s). The meaning "a vague consciousness or feeling" is from 1590s.

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    insensible
    c. 1400, "lacking the power to feel with the senses, numb, dazed" (now rare in this meaning), from Late Latin insensibilis..."that cannot be felt," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + sensibilis "having feeling: perceptible by the senses" (see sensible...Meaning "incapable of being felt or perceived by the senses or the mind, so small or slight as to be imperceptible" is from...
    insensate
    1510s, "lacking or deprived of physical senses," from Late Latin insensatus "irrational, foolish," from in- "not" (see in...Insensate means "not capable of feeling sensation," often "inanimate;" insensible means "lacking the power to feel with the senses...," hence, often, "unconscious;" insensitive means "having little or no reaction to what is perceived by one's senses," often...
    Mercedes
    The early Christians gave a spiritual meaning to the purely financial classical senses of the Latin word, which also, in...its original senses, entered Middle English as mercede "wages" (late 14c.)....
    sett
    The extra t is an arbitrary addition in various technical senses, from a lawn-tennis to a granite set....doubtless added it to distinguish the special sense that means most to it from all others ; but so many are the special senses...
    sensible
    late 14c., "capable of sensation or feeling;" also "capable of being sensed or felt, perceptible to the senses," hence "perceptible...logical, reasonable," from Old French sensible and directly from Late Latin sensibilis "having feeling: perceptible by the senses...Other Middle English senses included "susceptible to injury or pain" (early 15c., common through 18c., now gone with sensitive...
    sensuality
    mid-14c., sensualite, "the part of man that is concerned with the senses" (now obsolete), also "lust, sinful and passionate...emotion," from Old French sensualite "the five senses; impression," from Late Latin sensualitatem (nominative sensualitas...
    quaint
    c. 1200, cointe, cwointe, "cunning, artful, ingenious; proud," in both good and bad senses, from Old French cointe, queinte...The old senses all are archaic or obsolete....Perhaps the fuzziness of the good and bad senses in the word contributed to this. Compare Middle English queintise (n.)...
    signification
    early 14c., significacioun, "symbolization, representation," from Old French significacion and directly from Latin significationem (nominative significatio) "a signifying, indication, expression, sign, token, meaning, emphasis," noun of action from past-participle stem of signifi
    grasp
    mid-14c., "to reach, grope, feel around," possibly a metathesis of grapsen, from Old English *græpsan "to touch, feel," from Proto-Germanic *grap-, *grab- (source also of East Frisian grapsen "to grasp," Middle Dutch grapen "to seize, grasp," Old English grapian "to touch, feel,
    comprehend
    mid-14c., "to understand, take into the mind, grasp by understanding," late 14c., "to take in, include;" from Latin comprehendere "to take together, to unite; include; seize" (of catching fire or the arrest of criminals); also "to comprehend, perceive" (to seize or take in the mi

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