seance etymology

Etymology

The word "séance" comes from the French word "séance," which means "session" or "meeting." It is derived from the Latin word "sedere," which means "to sit."

Meaning

A séance is a meeting or session in which people attempt to make contact with the spirits of the dead. It typically involves a medium, who is believed to have the ability to communicate with spirits, and a group of participants.

Origin

The practice of séances originated in the 18th century as part of the Spiritualist movement. Spiritualists believed that the dead could communicate with the living through mediums, and they held séances as a way to contact their deceased loved ones.

Séances became popular in the 19th century, especially in the United States and Europe. They were often held in homes or churches, and they attracted a wide variety of people, from the curious to the bereaved.

Over time, séances became increasingly associated with fraud and charlatanism. Many mediums were found to be using tricks and deception to create the illusion of communication with spirits. As a result, the popularity of séances declined in the 20th century.

However, séances are still practiced today by some Spiritualists and other believers in the paranormal. They continue to be a source of fascination and controversy, as people continue to debate the possibility of communicating with the dead.

seance relate terms

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  • assize

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  • banshee

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  • beset

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  • cathedra

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  • cathedral

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  • chair

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  • cosset

    Etymology Middle English cossen cosset Old French cousser cosset Vulgar Latin con

  • dissident

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  • dodecahedron

    Etymology and Origin The word dodecahedron comes from two Greek words Dodeca meani

  • Eisteddfod

    Etymology The word eisteddfod is derived from the Old Welsh words eistedd to sit a

  • ephedra

    Etymology The word ephedra is derived from the Greek words epi upon and hedra se

  • ersatz

    Etymology German from Middle High German ersatz compensation substitute from erset

  • icosahedron

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  • inset

    Etymology Latin inserere to insert Meaning Literally to place or fix into somet

  • insidious

    Etymology The word insidious is derived from the Latin word insidiosus meaning craf

  • nest

    Etymology The word nest comes from the Old English noun nest which meant a place wh

  • niche

    Etymology French niche alcove recess from Italian nicchia niche recess probably

  • Nick

    Etymology Derived from the Greek name Νικόλαος Nikolaos meaning victory of

  • nidicolous

    Etymology The word nidicolous comes from Latin nidus nest colus inhabiting

  • nidification

    Etymology Latin nidificare meaning to make a nest Nid from Latin nidus mea

  • nidus

    Etymology The word nidus is derived from the Latin word nīdus meaning nest Mean

  • obsess

    Etymology Latin ob sessum Meaning To be preoccupied with or fixated upon a parti

  • octahedron

    Etymology The word octahedron comes from the Greek words okta ὀκτά meaning e

  • piezo

    Etymology The word piezo is derived from the Greek word piezein which means to pre

  • piezoelectric

  • polyhedron

    Etymology Ancient Greek polus many hedron base seat Meaning A polyhedron

  • possess

    Etymology From Middle English possessen from Old French possessir from Latin possess

  • preside

    Etymology and Origin of Preside Preside comes from the Latin word praesidēre which

  • reside

    Etymology The word reside comes from the Latin verb residēre which means to sit do

  • saddle

    Etymology Middle English sadel from Old English sadol sadul Proto West Germanic sa

  • sanhedrim

    Etymology The word Sanhedrin is derived from the Greek word sunedrion which means

  • seance

    Etymology The word séance comes from the French word séance which means session

  • seat

    Etymology Old English sēte Proto Germanic satuz Proto Indo European root so

  • sedan

    Etymology The word sedan has its origins in the Italian city of Sedan located in the

  • sedate

    Etymology of sedate Origin Late Latin sedatus from Latin sedare to calm settle so

  • sedentary

    Etymology Latin sedentarius adjective Late Latin sedentarius noun Meaning

  • sederunt

    Etymology and Meaning Sederunt is a Latin word meaning they sat It is the past tense

  • sediment

    Etymology of sediment Derived from the Latin word sedimentum meaning a settling

  • sessile

    Etymology The word sessile originates from the Latin word sessilis which means sit

  • session

    Etymology Latin sessio meaning a sitting From sedere meaning to sit Meanin

  • sett

    Etymology The word sett has multiple origins and meanings depending on its specific us

  • settle

    Etymology Middle English settelen from Old English setlan from Proto Germanic satli

  • settle

    Etymology Middle English settelen from Old English setlan from Proto Germanic satli

  • siege

    Etymology Middle French siege from Old French siege meaning seat Latin sedes

  • sitz bath

    Etymology The term sitz bath is a combination of two German words Sitz Meaning sit

  • sitzkrieg

    Etymology From French Sitzkrieg literally sitting war from German Sitzkrieg liter

  • size

    Etymology Old English siȝe Middle English sise Late Latin sīsus meaning amoun

  • soil

    Etymology The word soil originates from the Old French word soil which itself derive

  • Somerset

    Etymology Old English Sumorsæte Middle English Somersete Meaning Summer people

  • soot

    Etymology Soot comes from the following sources Old English sot meaning blackne

  • subside

    Etymology Latin subsidere meaning to settle down sub under sidere to sit

  • subsidy

    Etymology The word subsidy comes from the Late Latin word subsidium meaning support

  • supersede

    Etymology The word supersede comes from the Latin supersedere meaning to sit above

  • surcease

    Etymology Old French sursoir surseir Latin supersedēre to sit upon stay rest

  • tanist

    Etymology Old Irish tánaiste Proto Celtic tanistī Meaning A deputy or sec

  • tetrahedron

    Etymology Derived from Greek tetra four hedron base Meaning A three di

  • Upanishad

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  • sitting

    Etymology Old English sittigan Proto Germanic setjan Proto Indo European sed to

  • session

    Etymology Latin sessio meaning a sitting From sedere meaning to sit Meanin

  • meeting

    Etymology The word meeting originates from the Middle English term meting which in t

  • delight

    Etymology The word delight comes from the Middle English word delit which in turn de

  • hoedown

    Etymology The word hoedown is derived from the phrase hoe down which referred to a p

  • perfection

    Etymology From Latin perfectionem state of being complete finished or flawless

  • Alexander

    Etymology and Meaning Alexander Greek Αλέξανδρος Aléxandros is a male gi

  • make up

    Etymology Make Old English macian meaning to form create or produce Up Old Eng

  • labyrinth

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