Saw
Old English saga, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zaag .
wiktionary
The noun from Middle English sawe, sawgh, from Old English saga, sagu(“saw”), 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”), 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.
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 follow”). 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.
saw
etymonline
saw (n.1)
toothed cutting tool, Old English sagu, from Proto-Germanic *sago "a cutting tool" (source also of Old English seax "knife," Old Norse sög, Norwegian sag, Danish sav, Swedish såg, Middle Dutch saghe, Dutch zaag, Old High German saga, German Säge "saw"), from PIE root *sek- "to cut" (source also of Latin secare "to cut").
saw (n.2)
"proverb, saying, maxim," Old English sagu "saying, discourse, speech, study, tradition, tale," from Proto-Germanic *saga-, *sagon- (source also of Middle Low German, Middle Dutch sage, zage, German Sage "legend, fable, saga, myth, tradition," Old Norse saga "story, tale, saga"), from PIE root *sek(w)- "to say, utter" (see say (v.)). "[A] contemptuous term for an expression that is more common than wise" [Century Dictionary].
saw (v.)
"cut with a saw," c. 1200, sauen, saghen, from saw (n.1). Strong conjugation began by c. 1400 on model of draw, etc. Related: Sawed; sawing. Sawed-off "short, cut short" is attested 1887 of persons, 1898 of shotguns.
saw (v.)
past tense of see; from Old English plural sawon.
