Seize
Middle English: from Old French seizir ‘give seisin’, from medieval Latin sacire, in the phrase ad proprium sacire ‘claim as one's own’, from a Germanic base meaning ‘procedure’.
wiktionary
Earlier seise, from Middle English seisen, sesen, saisen, from Old French seisir(“to take possession of; invest (person, court)”), from Medieval Latin sacīre(“to lay claim to, appropriate”) (8th century) in the phrase ad propriam sacire, from Old Low Frankish *sakjan(“to sue, bring legal action”), from Proto-Germanic *sakjaną, *sakōną (compare Old English sacian(“to strive, brawl”)), from Proto-Germanic *sakaną (compare Old Saxon sakan(“to accuse”), Old High German sahhan(“to bicker, quarrel, rebuke”), Old English sacan(“to quarrel, claim by law, accuse”). [1] Cognate to sake and Latin sagio(“to perceive acutely”).
etymonline
seize (v.)
mid-13c., from Old French seisir "to take possession of, take by force; put in possession of, bestow upon" (Modern French saisir), from Late Latin sacire, which is generally held to be from a Germanic source, but the exact origin is uncertain. Perhaps from Frankish *sakjan "lay claim to" (compare Gothic sokjan, Old English secan "to seek;" see seek). Or perhaps from Proto-Germanic *satjan "to place" (see set (v.)).
Originally a legal term in reference to feudal property holdings or offices. Meaning "to grip with the hands or teeth" is from c. 1300; that of "to take possession by force or capture" (of a city, etc.) is from mid-14c. Figurative use, with reference to death, disease, fear, etc. is from late 14c. Meaning "to grasp with the mind" is attested from 1855. Of engines or other mechanisms, attested from 1878. Related: Seized; seizing.
