saw
UK[sɔː]US[sɑː]
n
a tool with a long blade or edge with sharp teeth, used for cutting hard materials like wood or metal.
v
to cut something using a saw.
v
the past tense of the verb 'see'.
Etymology
the noun 'saw' (cutting tool) originates from old english 'sagu' or 'saga', from proto-germanic sagō, derived from the pie root sek- meaning "to cut." this root is the source of many cutting-related words like 'section' and 'segment'. the verb form meaning 'to cut with a saw' developed naturally from the noun. the homographic past tense of 'see' comes from old english 'seah', the past tense of 'sēon' (to see), from pie root sekʷ- (to see). the coincidence of their identical modern spelling is a result of separate phonetic evolutions from different pie roots converging on the same written form in modern english.
Analysis
this word is a simplex form. its primary modern meanings represent two distinct historical words that have converged in spelling.
Examples
he used a hand saw to cut through the wooden plank.
she carefully sawed the branch until it fell.
i saw a magnificent eagle soaring above the cliffs yesterday.