- sow (v.)
- O.E. sawan "to scatter seed upon the ground or plant it in the earth" (class VII strong verb; past tense seow, pp. sawen), from P.Gmc. *sæjanan (cf. O.N. sa, O.S. saian, M.Du. sayen, Du. zaaien, O.H.G. sawen, Ger. säen, Goth. saian), from PIE base *se- (cf. L. sero, pt. sevi, pp. satum "to sow;" O.C.S. sejo, sejati; Lith. seju, seti "to sow"), source of semen, season (n.), seed, etc. Fig. sense was in O.E.
- sow (n.)
- O.E. sugu, su "female of the swine," from P.Gmc. *sugo (cf. O.S., O.H.G. su, Ger. Sau, Du. zeug, O.N. syr), from PIE base *su- (cf. Skt. sukarah "wild boar, swine;" Avestan hu "wild boar;" Gk. hys "swine;" L. sus "swine," swinus "pertaining to swine;" O.C.S. svinija "swine;" Lett. sivens "young pig;" Welsh hucc, Ir. suig "swine; O.Ir. socc "snout, plowshare"), possibly imitative of pig noise, a notion reinforced by the fact that Skt. sukharah means "maker of (the sound) 'su.' " Related to swine. As a term of abuse for a woman, attested from 1508.