Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *sek-
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *sok-éh₂
Proto-Germanic *sagō
Proto-West Germanic *sagu
Old English saga
Middle English sawe
English saw
The noun from Middle English sawe, sawgh, from Old English saga, sagu (“saw”), from Proto-West Germanic *sagu, from Proto-Germanic *sagô, *sagō (“saw”), from Proto-Indo-European *sek- (“to cut”).
Cognate with West Frisian seage (“saw”), Dutch zaag (“saw”), German Säge (“saw”), Danish sav (“saw”), Faroese, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk sag (“saw”), Swedish såg (“saw”), Icelandic sög (“saw”), and through Indo-European, with Latin secō (“cut”) and Italian sega (“saw”).
The verb from Middle English sawen, from the noun above.
Meanings
(usually) A tool used for cutting hard substances, in particular wood or metal. ▸ Such a tool with a toothed blade.
Meronyms: sawtooth < sawblade
(sometimes) A tool used for cutting hard substances, in particular wood or metal. ▸ Such a tool with an abrasive coating instead of teeth.
A musical saw.
A sawtooth wave.
The situation where two partners agree to trump a suit alternately, playing that suit to each other for the express purpose.
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *sek-
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *sok-éh₂
Proto-Germanic *sagō
Proto-West Germanic *sagu
Old English saga
Middle English sawe
English saw
The noun from Middle English sawe, sawgh, from Old English saga, sagu (“saw”), from Proto-West Germanic *sagu, from Proto-Germanic *sagô, *sagō (“saw”), from Proto-Indo-European *sek- (“to cut”).
Cognate with West Frisian seage (“saw”), Dutch zaag (“saw”), German Säge (“saw”), Danish sav (“saw”), Faroese, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk sag (“saw”), Swedish såg (“saw”), Icelandic sög (“saw”), and through Indo-European, with Latin secō (“cut”) and Italian sega (“saw”).
The verb from Middle English sawen, from the noun above.
Meanings
(transitive) To cut (something) with a saw.
They were stoned, they were sawen asunder, were tempted, were slaine with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskinnes, and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Hebrews 11:37:
(intransitive) To make a motion back and forth similar to cutting something with a saw.
He said he was sometimes whistling a tune to himself — for, like me, he sawed a good deal on the fiddle; […] 1835, James Hogg, The Story of Euphemia Hewit:
(intransitive) To be cut with a saw.
The timber saws smoothly.
(transitive) To form or produce (something) by cutting with a saw.
to saw out a panel
to saw shingles
Locally sawn lumber—whether from small mills, local yards, or urban logs—often shows much more variation. 2026 August 14, Logan Wittmer, “Whiskey Cabinet”, in Popular Woodworking, volume 290, number 4, page 53:
to saw boards or planks (i.e. to saw logs or timber into boards or planks)
rgn ṣghêr (cut with a saw) · rm razger (cut with a saw) · wa soyî (cut with a saw) · fa اره کردن (cut with a saw) · cs řezat (cut with a saw) · sl žagati (cut with a saw) · ca serrar (cut with a saw) · ru пили́ть (cut with a saw) · mn хөрөөдөх (cut with a saw) · rm rasger (cut with a saw) · grc πρίω (cut with a saw) · sce qiroulie (cut with a saw) · el πριονίζω (cut with a saw) · ko 켜다 (make a motion back and forth as with a saw) · hy սղոցել (cut with a saw) · mi kanikani (cut with a saw) · kmr bi mişarê birrîn (cut with a saw) · yue 鋸 /锯 (make a motion back and forth as with a saw) · ar نَشَرَ (cut with a saw) · ro ferestrui (cut with a saw) · kmr mişar kirin (cut with a saw) · la serrare (cut with a saw) · xal көрәдх (cut with a saw) · se sahet (cut with a saw) · bth gŭrŭt (cut with a saw) · ms menggergaji (cut with a saw) · cy llifio (cut with a saw) · mi kani tāmaku (cut with a saw) · yuy küreedegi (cut with a saw) · rm rasgear (cut with a saw) · fr scier (cut with a saw) · pt serrar (cut with a saw) · pl przerżnąć (cut with a saw) · sce qiroujie (cut with a saw) · mk пили (cut with a saw) · lb seeën (cut with a saw) · eo segi (cut with a saw) · pl przepiłowywać (cut with a saw) · ko 켜다 (cut with a saw) · rm resgiar (cut with a saw) · scn sirrari (cut with a saw) · nds-de sagen (cut with a saw) · de sägen (cut with a saw) · ko 썰다 (cut with a saw) · mnc ᡶᡠᡶᡠᠮᠪᡳ (cut with a saw) · ast serrar (cut with a saw) · ja 挽く (cut with a saw) · it segare (cut with a saw) · sv såga (cut with a saw) · no sage (cut with a saw) · gld пори (cut with a saw) · pon rese (cut with a saw) · sh žagati (cut with a saw) · vec segar (cut with a saw) · es serrar (cut with a saw) · vi cưa (cut with a saw) · vec siegar (cut with a saw) · sh жагати (cut with a saw) · fi sahata (make a motion back and forth as with a saw) · rup nsher (cut with a saw) · nl zagen (cut with a saw) · ro fierăstrui (cut with a saw) · oc serrar (cut with a saw) · oc ressegar (cut with a saw) · oc ressar (cut with a saw) · dta kireedgw (cut with a saw) · pl piłować (cut with a saw) · yue 鋸 /锯 (cut with a saw) · sh пилити (cut with a saw) · mi kani haratua (cut with a saw) · grc πρίζω (cut with a saw) · pl rżnąć (cut with a saw) · gl serrar (cut with a saw) · ja 切る (cut with a saw) · se sahát (cut with a saw) · da save (cut with a saw) · hu fűrészel (cut with a saw) · gd sàbh (cut with a saw) · fur seâ (cut with a saw) · yi זעגן (cut with a saw) · ext sahal (cut with a saw) · lv zāģēt (cut with a saw) · dlg эрбээ (cut with a saw) · el πριονίζω (make a motion back and forth as with a saw) · cmn 鋸 /锯 (cut with a saw) · kl pilattorpoq (cut with a saw) · evn хунами (cut with a saw) · is saga (cut with a saw) · sh piliti (cut with a saw) · pl przepiłować (cut with a saw) · bg режа с трион (cut with a saw) · ba бысыу (cut with a saw) · fi sahata (cut with a saw)
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *sekʷ-
Proto-Germanic *sagǭ
Proto-West Germanic *sagā
Old English saga
Middle English sawe
English saw
From Middle English sawe, from Old English sagu, saga (“story, tale, saying, statement, report, narrative, tradition”), from Proto-West Germanic *sagā, from Proto-Germanic *sagō, *sagǭ (“saying, story”), from Proto-Indo-European *sekʷe-, *skʷē-, from *sekʷ- (“to say”).
Cognate with Dutch sage (“saga”), German Sage (“legend, saga, tale, fable”), Danish sagn (“legend”), Norwegian soga (“story”), Icelandic saga (“story, tale, history”). More at saga, say. Doublet of saga.
Meanings
(obsolete) Something spoken; speech, discourse.
And for thy trew sawys, and I may lyve many wynters, there was never no knyght better rewardid[…].
And for your true discourses, and I may live many winters, there was never no knight better rewarded[…]. 1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book V, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich] Oskar Sommer, editor, Le Morte Darthur […], London: David Nutt, […], 1889, →OCLC:
(archaic) A saying or proverb.
At his crowning[…] the priest in his honour preached on the saw, 'Vox populi, vox Dei.' 1902, Charles Robert Ashbee, Masque of the Edwards of England, page 8:
old saw
And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances. c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii], lines 152-5:
(obsolete) Opinion, idea, belief.
on no saw
commune saw
by thy saw
(obsolete) Proposal, suggestion; possibility.
c. 1350-1400, unknown, The Erl of Toulous
All they assentyd to the sawe; They thoght he spake reson and lawe.
(obsolete) Dictate; command; decree.
[Love] rules the creatures by his powerful saw. 1595, Ed. Spencer [i.e., Edmund Spenser], “Colin Clouts Come Home Againe”, in Colin Clouts Come Home Againe, London: […] T[homas] C[reede] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
ru посло́вица (saying or proverb) · cy dihareb (saying or proverb) · ru погово́рка (saying or proverb) · nl gezegde (saying or proverb) · id amsal (saying or proverb) · nl spreuk (saying or proverb) · it adagio (saying or proverb) · el ρήση (saying or proverb) · pt provérbio (saying or proverb) · de Spruch (saying or proverb) · es proverbio (saying or proverb) · de Sprichwort (saying or proverb) · bg поговорка (saying or proverb) · id petitih (saying or proverb) · it detto (saying or proverb) · cy hen air (saying or proverb) · ga nath (saying or proverb) · mk поговорка (saying or proverb) · cy gwireb (saying or proverb) · el απόφθεγμα (saying or proverb) · es dicho (saying or proverb) · kmr gotina pêşiyan (saying or proverb) · es refrán (saying or proverb) · it proverbio (saying or proverb) · nl spreekwoord (saying or proverb) · pl powiedzenie (saying or proverb) · bg сентенция (saying or proverb) · fr proverbe (saying or proverb) · kmr pend (saying or proverb) · mk пословица (saying or proverb) · pdt Saj (saying or proverb) · la dictum (saying or proverb) · pl przysłowie (saying or proverb) · id peri bahasa (saying or proverb) · mk изрека (saying or proverb) · ga seanrá (saying or proverb) · cy dywediad (saying or proverb)
“I think so. He might have saw him already. Shit dude, I don't know. You run the place.” 2006, K.C. Carceral, Prison, Inc: A Convict Exposes Life Inside a Private Prison, NYU Press, →ISBN, page 68:
Mr. Harbaugh. All instances that I have saw. 1907, Report of the Special Committee of Investigation of the Government Hospital for the Insane, Government Printing Office, page 297:
“I might have saw something,” I told him. “At least I think I might have saw something. Only I couldn't say what.” 2014 October 7, Frances O'Roark Dowell, Anybody Shining, Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 110: