sail
UK[seɪl]US[seɪl]
n
a sheet of strong cloth which the wind blows against to make a boat move through water
v
to travel on water in a ship or boat using sails or engine power
v
to begin a journey on water
v
to move smoothly and confidently, or in a stately manner
Etymology
the word 'sail' originates from the old english 'segl', which is related to the old norse 'segl' and the dutch 'zeil'. these germanic terms all share the common meaning of a piece of fabric used to catch the wind for propulsion. the proto-germanic root is seglą, whose ultimate origin is uncertain but may be connected to the proto-indo-european root sek- meaning 'to cut', possibly referring to a cut piece of cloth. from this concrete object, the verb forms naturally developed to describe the act of using a sail or moving in a manner reminiscent of a sailing vessel.
Analysis
the word 'sail' is a simplex word of germanic origin. it functions as a complete lexical root.
Examples
the white sails of the ship billowed in the strong wind.
we plan to sail across the atlantic next summer.
she simply sailed into the room, ignoring everyone.