seance
UK[ˈseɪ.ɒ̃s]US[ˈseɪ.ɑːns]
n
A meeting where people try to communicate with the spirits of dead people.
Morpheme Breakdown
se
ance
se
be
ance
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'seance' entered English from French in the late 18th century. Its French source, 'séance', literally means 'a sitting' or 'session', derived from the Old French verb 'seoir' (to sit), which traces back to the Latin verb 'sedere'. The modern, specific meaning of a spiritualist meeting developed in the 19th century, logically evolving from the core idea of a group 'sitting' together for a specific purpose—in this case, to attempt contact with the spirit world.
Analysis
Structure: se (be) + ance (noun suffix)
'se' from Latin 'sedere' (to sit), functioning as a verb root. 'ance' from Latin '-antia', a noun-forming suffix indicating a state or action.
Examples
The novel's protagonist attended a seance in hopes of contacting her late husband.
They held a seance around the old oak table, with only a single candle for light.
Skeptics often attribute the phenomena at a seance to trickery or suggestion.