seer

See also: Appendix:Variations of "seer"

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɪə(ɹ)/, /ˈsiːə(ɹ)/

  • Audio (UK):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ), -iːə(ɹ)
• Homophones: cere, sear, sihr

Etymology 1

From Middle English seere, equivalent to see +‎ -er (“agent suffix”).

Noun

seer (plural seers)

1. One who foretells the future; a clairvoyant, prophet, soothsayer or diviner.
   • 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 185:

     "But I must not forget to tell you that the lad was born on a Sunday, and had found a card with the four of clubs; therefore he was a seer, that is to say, he could see the supernatural people, but they could not see him."

2. One who sees something; an eyewitness.
   • 1924, Arthur Eustace Morgan, Tendencies of Modern English Drama, page 140:

     As a seer of beautiful visions, or, shall we say, of visions of the beautiful, he is never weary of celebrating the poet and his vocation.

Related terms

• seeress

Translations

someone who sees something; an eyewitness

• Aghwan: 𐔰𐕄𐔰𐔾 (aḳal)
• Albanian: faltore (sq)
• Bulgarian: очевидец (bg) m (očevidec)
• Dutch: ooggetuige (nl) m
• French: témoin (fr) m
• Galician: testemuña (gl) f
• Georgian: მხედველი (mxedveli)
• Latvian: aculiecinieks m
• Macedonian: оче́видец m (očévidec)
• Persian: بیننده (fa) (binande)
• Polish: świadek (pl) m
• Portuguese: testemunha (pt) f
• Russian: очеви́дец (ru) m (očevídec), свиде́тель (ru) m (svidételʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: очевидац m

  Roman: očevidac (sh)

• Spanish: testigo (es) m or f

someone who foretells the future

• Asturian: adivín (ast), vidente (ast)
• Belarusian: празорлівец m (prazórlivjec), празарлівец m (prazarlivjec), празорлівіца f (prazórlivica), празарлівіца f (prazarlivica)
• Bulgarian: пророк (bg) m (prorok), гадател (bg) m (gadatel)
• Catalan: vident m or f, endeví m, endevinaire m, endevinador m
• Czech: jasnovidec (cs), prorok (cs)
• Dutch: ziener (nl), helderziende (nl) m
• Finnish: näkijä (fi), tietäjä (fi)
• French: voyant (fr) m, voyante (fr) f, devin (fr)
• Galician: vidente m or f, adiviño m, adiviña f
• Georgian: წინასწარმეტყველი (c̣inasc̣armeṭq̇veli)
• German: Seher (de) m, Seherin (de) f, Wahrsager (de) m, Wahrsagerin (de) f, Weissager m, Weissagerin f, Hellseher (de) m, Hellseherin (de) f, Visionär (de) m, Visionärin (de) f, Prophet (de) m, Prophetin (de) f
• Greek:

  Ancient: μάντις m (mántis)

• Hindi: (rishi) ऋषि (hi) m (ŕṣi)
• Hungarian: látnok (hu)
• Irish: fáidh m
• Italian: veggente (it), chiaroveggente (it), indovino (it)
• Latin: vātēs m or f, fatidica f
• Latvian: pareģis, zīlētājs m
• Lithuanian: pranašas, aiškiaregys
• Macedonian: јасно́видец m (jasnóvidec), про́рок m (prórok), гле́дач m (glédač)
• Maori: matakite, matatuhi
• Persian: پیشگو (fa) (pišgu)
• Polish: jasnowidz (pl), jasnowidzący m, jasnowidząca f
• Portuguese: vidente (pt)
• Russian: прорица́тель (ru) m (proricátelʹ), прови́дец (ru) m (provídec), прови́дица (ru) f (provídica)
• Scottish Gaelic: taibhsear m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: видовњак, пророк m, пророчица f, видјелац

  Roman: vidovnjak (sh), pròrok (sh) m, pròročica (sh) f, vidjelac (sh)

• Slovak: jasnovidec, prorok, veštec
• Spanish: vidente (es) m or f, adivino (es) m, adivina (es) f
• Swedish: siare (sv) c, sierska (sv) (only female)
• Tocharian B: rṣāke
• Turkish: falcı (tr)
• Ukrainian: прови́дець (uk) m (provýdecʹ), прови́диця (uk) f (provýdycja)
• Volapük: (♂♀) visionan, (♂) hivisionan, (♀) jivisionan

Etymology 2

See sihr.

Noun

seer (plural seers)

1. Alternative form of sihr

Anagrams

• EERs, Erse, REEs, Rees, SERE, eres, rees, rese, sere

Alemannic German

Alternative forms

• sehr

Etymology

From Middle High German sēr, from Old High German sēr (“sored, injured”), from Proto-West Germanic *sair. Cognate with German sehr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /seːr/

Adverb

seer

1. very

   Hät mi seer gfroit, Sii kännezlärne.

   It was very nice to meet (polite) you.

   (literally, “(It) gladdened me very to get to know (polite) you.”)

Synonyms

• uu
• mega (colloquial)

Danish

Etymology

From se (“to see”) +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /seːər/, [ˈseːˀɐ]
• Rhymes: -eːˀɐ

Noun

seer c (singular definite seeren, plural indefinite seere)

1. viewer (someone who watches television)
2. seer (someone who foretells the future)

Inflection

Declension of seer

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	seer	seeren	seere	seerne
genitive	seers	seerens	seeres	seernes

Synonyms

• (viewer): fjernseer, kigger, kikker, tv-kigger, tv-kikker, tv-seer

Further reading

• seer on the Danish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^da

Middle Dutch

Etymology 1

From Old Dutch sēr, from Proto-West Germanic *sair.

Adjective

sêer

1. painful, sore
2. sick

Inflection

Adjective
		Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Plural
Nominative	Indefinite	sêer	sêre	sêer	sêre
	Definite	sêre		sêre
Accusative	Indefinite	sêren	sêre	sêer	sêre
	Definite			sêre
Genitive		sêers	sêrer	sêers	sêrer
Dative		sêren	sêrer	sêren	sêren

Derived terms

• sêre

Descendants

• Dutch: zeer

Etymology 2

From Old Dutch sēr, from Proto-West Germanic *sair.

Noun

sêer n

1. pain, ache
2. sorrow, emotional pain

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: zeer

Further reading

• “seer (I)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “seer (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “seer (I)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page I
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “seer (II)”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN, page II

Middle English

Etymology 1

Noun

seer

1. Alternative form of sere (“dry”)

Etymology 2

Adjective

seer

1. Alternative form of sere (“differing”)

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From se +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈseːər/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ər
• Hyphenation: se‧er
• Homophones: C-er, c-er

Noun

seer m (definite singular seeren, indefinite plural seere, definite plural seerne)

1. (TV) a viewer
2. a seer, prophet

References

• “seer” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Latin sedēre. As time passed, it merged with ser (“to be”), from Latin sum (“to be”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /se.ˈeɾ/, [s̺e.ˈeɾ]

Verb

seer

1. to be
   • 13th century, Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, Quen vai contra Santa María con sobervia :

     [...] contra a que vencer foi ao démo per saber ser homildosa [...]

     [...] against her who defeated the devil by being humble [...]

   • 13th century, Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, Quen quér que ten en desdên a Santa María :

     [...] se m' a séla non seguir en que assentada sejo, e que sen falir me lév' i folgada [...]

     [...] unless the chair upon which I am seated goes with me and carries me there at my ease, without fail [...]

Conjugation

    Conjugation of seer (irregular)

infinitive		simple		seer, ser
		compound		infinitive of haver + past participle1
gerund		simple		seendo, sendo
		compound		gerund of haver + past participle1
past participle1				singular		plural
		masculine		siido, sido		—
		feminine		—		—
present participle				seente, *sente		seentes, *sentes
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative mood		eu	tu	el~ele ela vossa mercee	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outras vos outros	eles elas
simple tenses	present	so, soo, son, sõo, são, san, sejo2, *sexo	és, sées, sés	é, éste, sée, sé	somos, samos, seemos, semos	sodes, sondes, seedes, sedes, sendes	son, séen
	imperfect	era, seia, siia, sia, sedia	eras, seias, siias, sias, *sedias	era, seia, siia, sia, sedia	eramos, éramos, *seïamos, *seíamos, siïamos, siíamos, *siamos, *síamos, *sediamos, *sedíamos	erades, érades, seïades, seíades, *siïades, *siíades, *siades, *síades, *sediades, *sedíades	eran, seian, siian, *sian, *sedian
	preterite	fui, fun, foi, sevi, sive, seve	foste, fuste, fuiste, fusche, *sevéste, seviste	foi, fui, seve, seive	fomos, fumos, *sevémos	fostes, fustes, *sevéstes	foron, sevéron, seeron
	pluperfect	fora, *sevéra	foras, *sevéras	fora, sevéra	foramos, fôramos, *severamos, *sevéramos	forades, fôrades, *severades, *sevérades	foran, sevéran
	future	seerei, serei	seerás, serás	seerá, será	seeremos, seremos	seeredes, seredes	seerán, serán
	conditional	seeria, seria	seerias, serias	seeria, seria	seeriamos, seeríamos, seriamos, seríamos	seeriades, seeríades, seriades, seríades	seerian, serian
compound tenses1	present perfect	present of haver + past participle1
	present imperfect	imperfect of haver + past participle1
	past anterior	preterite of haver + past participle1
	pluperfect	simple pluperfect of haver + past participle1
	future perfect	future of haver + past participle1
	conditional perfect	conditional of haver + past participle1
subjunctive mood		eu	tu	el~ele ela vossa mercee	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	eles elas
simple tenses	present	seja2, *sexa, seia, sea	sejas2, *sexas, seias, seas	seja2, sexa, seia, sea	sejamos2, *sexamos, seiamos, seamos	sejades2, *sexades, seiades, seades	sejan2, sexan, seian, sean
	preterite	fosse, sevésse	fosses, *sevésses	fosse, sevésse	fôssemos, *sevéssemos	fôssedes, *sevéssedes	fossen, sevéssen
	future	for, *sevér	fores, *sevéres	for, sevér	formos, *sevérmos	fordes, sevérdes	foren, *sevéren
compound tenses1	present perfect	present subjunctive of haver + past participle1
	pluperfect	preterite subjunctive of haver + past participle1
	future perfect	future subjunctive of haver + past participle1
imperative mood		–	tu	vossa mercee	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	–
affirmative		—	sêe, sê, sei	seja2, *sexa, *seia, *sea	sejamos2, *sexamos, *seiamos, *seamos	seede, sede, *sende	—
negative		—	non sejas2, non *sexas, non *seias, non *seas	non seja2, non *sexa, non *seia, non *sea	non sejamos2, non *sexamos, non *seiamos, non *seamos	non sejades2, non *sexades, non seiades, non seades	—
personal infinitive		eu	tu	el~ele ela vossa mercee	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	eles elas
		seer, ser	seeres, seres	seer, ser	seermos, sermos	seerdes, serdes	seeren, seren
1 The past participle of the verb seer, which is only attested with the auxiliary verb haver, is scarcely documented since around the 13th century and remained uncommon throughout the 15th century.
2 The grapheme ⟨j⟩ can be represented by either phonemes, /dʒ/ and /Ʒ/. The former is more archaic.

Descendants

• Galician: ser
• Portuguese: ser

Old Spanish

Etymology

From Latin sedēre (“to sit”). As time passed, it merged with ser (“to be”), from Latin sum (“to be”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /seˈeɾ/

Verb

seer

1. to be
   • between 1178-1250, Anonymous, Libro de Alexandre :

     Si souieres quedado serás sano ayna
     (normalized) Si sovieres quedado, serás sano aína

     Should you be resting, you will be sound rapidly

   • between 1246-1252, Gonzalo de Berceo, The Miracles of Our Lady :

     (normalized) Plegó a Sant Fagunt, quemó una partida, fue cerca de la media de Carrïón ardida; por poco fuera toda Frómesta consumida

     It arrived at Sahagún, burned part of it, about half of Carrión de los Condes was burned down, and all of Frómista almost had been consumed

   • 1250, Anonymous, Pre-Alphonsian Bible E6 Mark.13.22:

     e farã ſignos é marauillas pora engannar los eſcogidos ſi ſeer puede
     (normalized) E farán signos e maravillas pora engañar los escogidos si seer puede

     And they shall make signs and wonders to trick the elect if it can be (=if it's possible)

   • between 1436-1439, Íñigo López de Mendoza y de la Vega (Marqués de Santillana), Serranilla VII :

     (normalized) [...] la ví tan graciosa, que apenas creyera que fuesse vaquera de la Finojosa ("fuesse" = "fuese")

     [...] she appeared so beautiful in my view, that I could scarcely believe she was just a cowgirl from La Finojosa

2. to remain/sit
   • 9th century, Anonymous, Glosas Emilianenses :

     in domo tua manes (tu siedes)

     [in Latin] you sit/remain at home, [in Old Spanish, glossing Latin manēs ‘you remain’] you sit/remain

   • between 1140-1207, Anonymous (or Per Abbat), Cantar de mío Cid 1001:

     Las armas auien presas & sedien sobre los cauallos

     They had taken up arms and were sitting on their horses

   • between 1140-1207, Anonymous (or Per Abbat), Cantar de mío Cid 3118:

     Sed en ũtro eſcaño com̃o Rey a ſeñor
     (normalized) Sed en vuestro escaño, como rey a señor

     Sit on your chair, as a king [overlooking] a lord

Conjugation

    Conjugation of seer (second conjugation)

Note: The verbs marked with an asterisk (*) were likely conjugated accordingly to the Old Spanish conjugation system.
infinitive			seder, seyer, seer, ser
gerund			seyendo, siendo, soviendo
past participle				singular		plural
		masculine		seído, sido, sesso		—
		feminine		—		—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		yo	tú	él ella ello	nos nosotros nosotras	vos vosotros vosotras	ellos ellas
	present	so, son, seyo, seo, *sieo	eres, siedes, *siees, sies, sees, *sieyes, sos	es, siede, *siee, sie, see, seye	somos, sedemos, seemos, seyemos	sodes, soes, sois, seedes, *siedes, seés, seéis, *seyedes	son, sieden, sieen, seen, sien, seyen
	imperfect	era, seía, *sedía	eras, seías, *seíes, *sedías, *sediés	era, seía, *seyé¹, seíe¹, seí, *sedía, sedié¹, sedíe¹	eramos, seíamos, seyémos¹, seíemos¹, *sediamos, *sediémos¹, sedíemos¹	erades, seíades, *seyédes¹, seíedes¹, *sediades, *sediédes¹, *sedíedes¹, seyés, seyéis	eran, seían, seyén¹, seíen¹, sedían, sedién¹, sedíen¹
	preterite	fúe, fúi, fuí, fu, fi, fo, sove, sovi	fuiste, fueste, fuste, fust, foste, fusti, soviste	fúe, fu, fi, fué, fot, fo, foe, foi, sovo, suvo	fuemos, fuimos, fimos, fomos, fumos, soviemos	fuestes, fuistes, fostes, fustes, soviestes	fueron, foron, furon, sovieron, sovioron
	pluperfect	fuera, *soviera	fueras, *sovieras	fuera, *soviera	fuéramos, *soviéramos	fuérades, *soviérades	fueran, sovieran
	future	seré	serás	será	seremos	seredes, serés, seréis	serán
	conditional	seria, serié², seríe³	serias, seriés¹, seríes¹	seria, serié¹, seríe¹	seriamos, seriémos¹, seríemos¹	seriades, seriédes¹, seríedes¹, seriás, *seriáis	serian, serién¹, seríen¹
subjunctive		yo	tú	él ella ello	nos nosotros nosotras	vos vosotros vosotras	ellos ellas
	present	seya, sea	seyas, seas	seya, sea	seyamos, seamos	seyades, seyás, *seyáis, seades, seás, seáis	seyan, sean
	imperfect, (-se)	fuésse, *soviesse, fués, soviés	fuesses, *soviesses	fuésse, soviesse, fués, soviés	fuéssemos, *soviéssemos	fuéssedes, *soviéssedes	fuessen, soviessen
	imperfect, (-ra)	fuera, *soviera	fueras, *sovieras	fuera, *soviera	fuéramos, *soviéramos	fuérades, *soviérades	fueran, sovieran
	future	fuere, fuer, fuero, *soviere, *sovier, *soviero	fueres, sovieres	fuere, fuer, soviere, sovier	fuéremos, *soviéremos	fuéredes, fuerdes, *soviéredes, *sovierdes	fueren, sovieren
imperative		yo	tú	—	nos nosotros nosotras	vos vosotros vosotras	—
	affirmative	—	see, se, séy	—	*seyamos, *seamos	seet, seed, seyet, seyed, set, sed	—
	negative	—	non/no seyas, non/no seas	—	non/no *seyamos, non/no seamos	non/no *seyades, non/no seyás, non/no seades, non/no seás, non/no seáis	—
¹ According to the linguists Paul M. Lloyd and Ralph J. Penny, the <ie> in seies, seie, seiemos, serie, series, seriemos etc. could either be read as /ié/ (written as yé) or /íe/. ² Rare. The first person singular conditional verbs ending in /ié/, according to Paul M. Lloyd, are rare. ³ Rarer. As the linguists Paul M. Lloyd and Ralph J. Penny affirm, <ie ~ ye> could either be read as /ié/ or /íe/. However, they also indicate that the former was more frequent than the latter, thus meaning that the first person singular conditional verbs ending in /íe/ are even rarer.

Descendants

• Spanish: ser (in part)

See also

• eseyente