An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Same

by Friedrich Kluge

Same, m., ‘seed, semen, spawn,’ from MidHG. sâme, OHG. and OSax. sâmo, m., ‘grain of seed, seed, descendants, field, soil’; a derivative of the root sê, ‘to sow,’ contained in Saat and säen. Corresponding to Lat. sêmen, OSlov. sěmę, ‘seed,’ Lith. sėmů, ‘seed’; an Aryan neut. sê-mn-, with a suffix men, is implied; the same suffix appears in Keim and Blume. A different derivation is indicated by OIr. síl and Lith. sėklà, ‘seed’ (prim. form sêtla}.