An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/sitzen

by Friedrich Kluge

sitzen, verb, ‘to sit, fit, suit,’ from the equivalent Middle High German sitzen, Old High German sizzen (from *sizzean, earlier *sittian); a primitively Teutonic and also common Aryan strong verb from the Aryan root sē̆d, Teutonic sē̆t. Compare Gothic sitan, Anglo-Saxon sittan, English to sit, Dutch zitten, Old Saxon sittian, ‘to sit, be seated.’ It corresponds to Sanscrit sad, Greek ἔζομαι (for *σεδjο-), Latin sêdeo, Old Slovenian sędą (sěsti). For the corresponding causative see setzen. It is unnecessary to adduce further derivatives from this very large Aryan class (such as Latin sîdo, Greek ἱδρύω, Latin sella, &c.).