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, sere, sear, sihr

Etymology 1

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

Alternative forms

• see-er (uncommon)
• seeër (rare)

Noun

seer (plural seers)

1. One who foretells the future; a clairvoyant, prophet, soothsayer or diviner.
   • 1886, Peter Christen Asbj&oslash￵rnsen, 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.

Derived 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)
• Hindi: प्रत्यक्षदर्शी (hi) (pratyakṣadarśī)
• Italian: testimone (it) m or f
• 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 — see also fortune teller

• 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), věštec (cs) m
• 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), दूरदर्शी (hi) (dūrdarśī)
• 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 (mk) m (prórok), гле́дач m (glédač)
• Maori: matakite, matatuhi
• Ottoman Turkish: فالجی (falcı)
• 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
• 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. (rare) 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
• (seer): spåmand, profet, sandsiger, spåkone

Further reading

• seer on the Danish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^da
• “seer” in Den Danske Ordbog

Middle Dutch

Etymology 1

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

Adjective

sêer

1. painful, sore
2. sick

Inflection

Adjective

		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	indefinite	sêer	sêre	sêer	sêre
	definite	sêre		sêre
accusative	indefinite	sêren	sêre	sêer	sêre
	definite			sêre
genitive	indefinite	sêers	sêerre	sêers	sêerre
	definite	sêers, sêren		sêers, sêren
dative		sêren	sêerre	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

Strong neuter noun

	singular	plural
nominative	sêer	sêer, sêre
accusative	sêer	sêer, sêre
genitive	sêers	sêre
dative	sêre	sêren

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

From Latin sedēre (“to sit”). 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
   • a. 1284, Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, Códice de los músicos, cantiga 153 (facsimile):

     […] 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 […]

   • a. 1284, Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, Códice de los músicos, cantiga 283 (facsimile):

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

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

   • 1351-1400, Alfonso X of Castile, editor, Primeira Partida, Biblioteca Nacional Digital, page 157:

     ley. XXXVª. qual caſamento enbarga o clerigo que nõ poſſa ſeer o biſpo nẽ outro prelado mayor. Enbargo ſeendo per rrazõ de caſamento algũũ homẽ por qual daſ maneyraſ quer que dizẽ en eſta ley nõ pode ſeer biſpo. E eſto ſeerya como ſſe ouueſſe auudaſ duaſ molhereſ virgẽẽſ a bẽẽçoeſ. ou hũã viuua que non foſſe virgẽ quando elle caſaſſe con ella. macar nũca ouueſſe ſeudo caſado [...]

     Law 35. What marriage prevents a cleric from being able to be a bishop or another major prelate? A man is impeded by reason of marriage, in any of the ways described in this law, from being a bishop. And this would be if he had wedded two virgin women with blessings, or a widow who was not a virgin when he married her, even if he himself had not been married before [...]

   • 1351-1400, Alfonso X of Castile, editor, Primeira Partida, Biblioteca Nacional Digital, pages 175-176:

     ley. LXIIª. que mayoriaſ donrra am oſ preladoſ sobreloſ outroſ clerigoſ Oſ preladoſ am mayoriaſ en ſete couſaſ por onrra da ſta igreia mayſ que oſ outroſ clerigoſ A primeira que o dia que o fazẽ biſpo ſe he en poder de ſſeu padre ou doutro mayoral que auia ſe era en algũã ordẽ fica liure A ſſegũda que o nõ podẽ ffazer guardador doſ orffãõſ A iiiª. que ſeera ſeruo ou ſalarẽgo ou da linhagẽ dalgũũſ delleſ que dalhy adeante fique por liure E nõ o pe nẽgũũ tornar a ſſeruidõẽ nẽ a ffazer a qual ſſeruiço a ſſeu ſſenhor que ante ffazia E pero ſe ouueſſe ſſeudo official na corte dellrrey daquelleſ que ſſom teudoſ de dar conto nõ he por iſſo quite a meoſ de dar aſ treſ parteſ de quãto auia a ſſazõ que o eſlegerõ [...]

     Law 62. What privileges of honor do prelates have over other clerics? Prelates have privileges in seven matters, for the honor of the Holy Church, over other clerics. The first: when consecrated bishop, a prelate becomes free if he was under the authority of his father, or another superior, or if he was in a [religious] order. The second: no one can compel him to serve as a guardian for orphans. The third: if he was formerly a serf, or peasant, or of a similar standing, he thenceforth attains his freedom. No one may return him to servitude nor compel him to perform the service he previously owed his lord. However, should he have been an officer in the king's court, where one is obligated to render accounts, he is not thereby exempt unless he surrenders one third of the wealth he possessed at the time of his election [...]

2. to become
   • 1200-1230, Osoiro Anes, editor, Mim prês forçadament'Amor, Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa:

     […] Que forçad'og[e] e sen sabor eno mundo vivendo vou, ca nunca pudi aver sabor de min nem d'al, des que foi sou […]

     […] In a forced way and without pleasure I go on living in the world, for I never could have pleasure in myself or in anything else, since I became hers […]

3. to sit, to be seated
   • 1201-1300, Notaries, editor, Sedia-m'eu na ermida de Sam Simion, Instituto de Estudos Medievais:

     Sedia-m'eu na ermida de Sam Simion e cercarom-mi as ondas, que grandes som! [...]

     I was sitting in the hermitage of Saint Simeon, and the waves surrounded me, how great they are! [...]

   • 1301-1400, Mendinho, editor, Documents of the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Coimbra:

     [...] na cidade de Coinbra dentro na See cathedral sobre a pia do bautizar stantes & seentes hj os honrrados senhores [...]

     [...] in the city of Coimbra, inside the Sé Cathedral, by the baptismal font, standing and sitting, the honorable gentlemen [...]

4. to remain
   • a. 1284, Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, Códice de los músicos, cantiga 153 (facsimile):

     […] 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, ser

infinitive				seer, ser
gerund		simple		seendo, sendo
		compound		gerund of haver + past participle
past participle				singular		plural
		masculine		seúdo, *siúdo, siído, sido		—
		feminine		—		—
present participle				seente, *sente		seentes, *sentes
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative mood		eu ei	tu	el~ele ela	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	eles elas
simple tenses	present	so, soo, son, sõo, são, san, sejo, *sêxo, *seio, *seo	és, sées, sés	é, éste, sée, sé	somos, samos, seemos, semos	sodes, sondes, seedes, sedes, *seendes, sendes	son, séen
	imperfect	era, seía, siía, sia, sedia	eras, seías, siías, sias, *sedias	era, seía, siía, sia, sedia	eramos, éramos, *seïamos, *seíamos, siïamos, siíamos, *siamos, *síamos, *sediamos, *sedíamos	erades, érades, seïades, seíades, *siïades, *siíades, *siades, *síades, *sediades, *sedíades	eran, seían, siían, *sian, *sedian
	preterite	foi, foin, fui, *fuin, fun, 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 tenses	present perfect	present of haver + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect of haver + past participle
	past anterior	preterite of haver + past participle
	pluperfect anterior	simple pluperfect of haver + past participle
	future perfect	future of haver + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of haver + past participle
subjunctive mood		eu ei	tu	el~ele ela	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	eles elas
simple tenses	present	seja, *sexa, *seia, sea	sejas, *sexas, *seias, seas	seja, sexa, *seia, sea	sejamos, *sexamos, *seiamos, seamos	sejades, *sexades, *seiades, seades	sejan, sexan, *seian, sean
	imperfect	fosse, sevésse	fosses, *sevésses	fosse, sevésse	fossemos, fôssemos, *sevessemos, *sevéssemos	fossedes, fôssedes, *sevessedes, *sevéssedes	fossen, sevéssen
	future	for, *sevér	fores, *sevéres	for, sevér	formos, *sevérmos	fordes, sevérdes	foren, *sevéren
compound tenses	present perfect	present subjunctive of haver + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of haver + past participle
	future perfect	future subjunctive of haver + past participle
imperative mood		—	tu	—	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	—
affirmative		—	see, sê, sei	—	sejamos, *sexamos, *seiamos, seamos	seede, sede	—
negative		—	non sejas, *non sexas, *non seias, non seas	—	non sejamos, *non sexamos, *non seiamos, non seamos	non sejades, *non sexades, *non seiades, non seades	—
personal infinitive		eu ei	tu	el~ele ela	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	eles elas
		seer, ser	seeres, seres	seer, ser	seermos, sermos	seerdes, serdes	seeren, seren

Descendants

• Fala: sel
• 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 came to Sahagún and burned a part of it; the land halfway to Carrión [de los Condes] was also burned; all of Frómista was almost completely 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

   • between 1196-1260, Gonzalo de Berceo, El Milagro de Teófilo:

     Pero con todo esto que tú as recabdado, aun non me seguro, nin seo bien pagado, hasta vea la carta e cobre el dictado, la que fiz quando óvi al tu Fijo negado.

     But with all this that you have obtained, I still do not feel secure, nor am I truly satisfied, until I see the letter and recover the text, the one which I made when I had denied your Son.

   • 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

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

2. to become
3. to sit, to be seated
   • 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

4. to remain
   • 9th century, Anonymous, Glosas Emilianenses:

     in domo tua manes (tu siedes)

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

Conjugation

    Conjugation of seer (irregular)

infinitive			simple		seder, seyer, seer, ser
			compound		infinitive of haver + past participle
gerund			simple		sediendo, seyendo, siendo
			compound		gerund of haver + past participle
past participle					singular		plural
			masculine		seído, sido		—
			feminine		—		—
present participle					sediente, sedient, seyente, seyent		sedientes, seyentes
person			singular			plural
			first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative mood			yo	tú	él ella ello	nos nosotros nosotras	vos vosotros vosotras	ellos ellas
simple tenses	present		so, son, soy, seyo, seo	eres, siedes, *siees, sies, sees	es, siede, siee, sie, see	somos, sedemos, seyemos, seemos	sodes, soes, sois, *seyedes, seedes	son, sieden, sieen, sien, seen
	imperfect		era, sedía, *sedié, *sedíe, *sedí, seía, *seyé, *seíe, *seí	eras, *sedías, *sediés, *sedíes, seías, *seyés, *seíes	era, sedía, sedié, sedíe, *sedí, seía, *seyé, *seíe, seí	éramos, *sedíamos, *sediemos, *sedíemos, seíamos, seyemos, *seíemos	érades, *sedíades, *sediedes, *sedíedes, seíades, *seyedes, *seíedes	eran, sedían, sedién, sedíen, seían, *seyén, *seíen
	preterite		fue, fúe, fui, fuí, fu, fo, fi, sove	fueste, fuiste, fuste, foste, soviste, *sovieste, *sovistes, *soviestes	fue, fúe, fu, foi, fo, fi, sovo	fuemos, fuimos, fumos, fomos, fimos, *sovimos, soviemos	fuestes, fuistes, fustes, fostes, *sovistes, soviestes	fueron, furon, foron, sovieron
	pluperfect		fuera, *soviera	fueras, *sovieras	fuera, *soviera	fuéramos, *soviéramos	fuérades, *soviérades	fueran, sovieran
	future		seeré, seré	seerás, serás	seerá, será	seeremos, seremos	seeredes, *seerés, seredes, serés	seerán, serán
	conditional		seería, seerié, seeríe, seerí, sería, serié, seríe, serí	seerías, seeriés, seeríes, serías, seriés, seríes	seería, seerié, seeríe, seerí, sería, serié, seríe, serí	seeríamos, seeriemos, seríamos, seriemos	seeríades, seeriedes, seríades, seriedes	seerían, seerién, seeríen, serían, serién, seríen
compound tenses	present perfect		present of haver + past participle
	pluperfect		imperfect of haver + past participle
	past anterior		preterite of haver + past participle
	pluperfect anterior		simple pluperfect of haver + past participle
	future perfect		future of haver + past participle
	conditional perfect		conditional of haver + past participle
subjunctive mood			yo	tú	él ella ello	nos nosotros nosotras	vos vosotros vosotras	ellos ellas
simple tenses	present		seya, sea	seyas, seas	seya, sea	seyamos, seamos	seyades, *seyaes, seades, seaes, seáis	seyan, sean
	imperfect	(sse)	fuesse, fues, *soviesse, soviés	fuesses, *soviesses	fuesse, fues, soviesse, soviés	fuéssemos, *soviéssemos	fuéssedes, *soviéssedes	fuessen, soviessen
		(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, fuermos, *soviéremos, *soviermos	fuéredes, fuerdes, *soviéredes, *sovierdes	fueren, sovieren
compound tenses	present perfect		present subjunctive of haver + past participle
	pluperfect	(sse)	imperfect subjunctive (sse) of haver + past participle
		(ra)	imperfect subjunctive (ra) of haver + past participle
	future perfect		future subjunctive of haver + past participle
imperative mood			—	tú	—	nos nosotros nosotras	vos vosotros vosotras	—
affirmative			—	see, se, séy	—	*seyamos, *seamos	seyed, seed, sed	—
negative			—	non/no seyas, non/no seas	—	non/no *seyamos, non/no seamos	non/no seyades, non /no *seyaes, non/no seades, non/no seaes, non/no seáis	—

Descendants

• Spanish: ser

See also

• eseyente