See
See is an American science fiction drama television series created by Steven Knight that aired on Apple TV+ from November 1, 2019, to October 14, 2022.[1] Set centuries after a virus eliminated human sight, forcing society to adapt through heightened other senses and tribal warfare, the narrative centers on Baba Voss (Jason Momoa), a warrior father safeguarding his sighted twin children from Queen Kane (Sylvia Hoeks), who regards their vision as a divine threat warranting extermination.[2] The series spans three seasons comprising 24 episodes, emphasizing survival, combat, and rudimentary technology in a visually ironic world where viewers perceive what characters cannot.[3] Produced by Endeavor Content and Chernin Entertainment under showrunners including Jonathan Tropper, See features a supporting cast of Alfre Woodard as the tribal elder Paris, alongside Hera Hilmar and Christian Camargo, with directing by Francis Lawrence for the pilot.[1] Its premise draws from speculative evolution in a sightless ecology, incorporating echolocation-inspired combat and mythologized history, though execution has drawn scrutiny for occasional lapses in portraying authentic blindness, such as sighted actors' movements and fight choreography that undermines immersion. Despite visual spectacle and Momoa's physical performance earning praise for raw intensity, the show achieved moderate acclaim, evidenced by a 63% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes across seasons, with Season 1 at 44%, reflecting critiques of contrived plotting and underdeveloped lore over compelling character arcs.[2] See garnered a dedicated audience, peaking in streaming charts post-release and lauded for escapist action amid its unconventional sensory deprivation theme, yet it faced no major awards beyond technical nods and concluded without renewal, underscoring Apple TV+'s early foray into prestige sci-fi amid uneven narrative payoff.[4] Controversies were minor, primarily centering on the premise's logical inconsistencies—like rapid societal reversion to feudalism or the twins' combat inefficacy despite visual advantage—rather than substantive backlash, distinguishing it from more divisive genre entries.[5]Linguistics
Primary English definitions
The verb see primarily denotes the act of perceiving or becoming aware of something through the sense of sight, as in detecting an object or event visually without deliberate effort.[6] This core intransitive and transitive usage traces to Old English sēon, emphasizing passive or incidental observation, distinguishing it from intentional actions like look or sustained watch.[6] For instance, one might see a bird in flight incidentally while walking, rather than directing attention toward it. A closely related primary sense extends see to mental perception or comprehension, where it means to grasp an idea, foresee possibilities, or deduce meaning from information or context.[6] This figurative extension, also rooted in the verb's historical Germanic origins, implies forming a mental image or recognizing implications, as in "I see what you mean" to indicate understanding.[6] Linguistically, this polysemy highlights how sensory verbs evolve to cover cognitive processes, with the sight-based connotation providing the metaphorical foundation. Less central but recurrent primary usages include experiencing or undergoing an event (see service in the military) and ensuring or attending to something (see that the door is locked).[6] These derive from the verb's perceptual base, extending to practical oversight or personal encounter. As an irregular verb, see conjugates as present see/sees, past saw, and past participle seen, a pattern preserved from Proto-Germanic roots shared with words like German sehen.[6] In contemporary English, these senses dominate everyday discourse, with over 229 synonyms noted for nuanced variations in perception and awareness.[7]Etymology and cognates
The English verb see, denoting visual perception or observation, originates from Old English sēon (also spelled seon), attested from before 1150, which stems from Proto-Germanic *sehwaną. This reconstructs to the Proto-Indo-European root *sekʷ-, connoting "to point out" or "to follow with the eyes," reflecting an ancient semantic shift from indicating or directing attention to direct visual apprehension.[8][9] Cognates of the verb appear across Germanic languages, including Old Saxon and Old Frisian seon, Middle Dutch scon, Dutch zien, Old High German sehan, modern German sehen, and Old Norse sjá (modern Swedish and Danish se). Broader Indo-European parallels include Avestan sisho ("to behold"), Ancient Greek skopéō ("to look at," as in derivatives like "scope"), and Latin conspicere ("to catch sight of," from con- "together" + *spicere related to pointing out). These connections underscore a shared conceptual evolution from gestural indication to sensory perception, without evidence of borrowing and supported by regular sound correspondences like Germanic s from PIE *s and vowel shifts.[9] In contrast, the noun see, used for a bishop's seat or diocese (as in "Holy See"), derives separately from Middle English see, borrowed via Anglo-French se or sé from Latin sedēs ("seat" or "throne"), from the verb sedēre ("to sit"). This lineage traces to Proto-Indo-European *sed- ("to sit"), distinct from the perceptual verb's root. Cognates for this noun include English "seat," German Sitz, Dutch zit, and Latin derivatives like "sedentary," emphasizing sedentary authority rather than vision.[9][6]Non-English usages
In German, the noun See (plural Seen) denotes a lake or inland body of standing water, as exemplified by names such as the Bodensee (Lake Constance), a 536-square-kilometer lake bordering Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This usage derives from Middle High German sê, tracing back to Proto-West Germanic sai, which referred to marshy or stagnant waters, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sóyh₂wos. Over time, semantic specialization in High German restricted See to lakes, while Meer (cognate with English "mere" and Dutch "meer") assumed the primary meaning of sea or ocean.[10][11] A secondary, poetic or nautical sense of die See (feminine form) in German refers to the open sea, as in the phrase "auf hoher See" (on the high seas), but this is less common and contextually distinct from the masculine der See for lakes. In Dutch, a closely related West Germanic language, the cognates exhibit reversed semantics: zee means sea (cognate with English "sea" and German See in its secondary sense), while meer means lake or large inland water. This divergence likely arose from regional substrate influences and differing emphases on coastal versus inland features during the Middle Ages, with Low German dialects showing intermediate variations.[12][13] Low German and related dialects, such as Plattdeutsch, retain See or variants like Sö for lake, reflecting shared Proto-Germanic roots with English "sea" (/siː/, homophonous with the verb "see"), which originally encompassed broader notions of saline or large waters before narrowing to oceans. These non-English usages illustrate how phonetic and orthographic similarity masks etymological divergence, with no direct equivalence to the English verb "see" (from Proto-Germanic *sehwaną, meaning to perceive visually).[10]Religion
Ecclesiastical see
An ecclesiastical see, also termed an episcopal see, refers to the official seat of a bishop's authority in Christian denominations such as Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, and Oriental Orthodoxy, encompassing the diocese or jurisdiction under his pastoral oversight. The term derives from the Latin sedes, meaning "seat," which originally denoted the bishop's throne or cathedra—the physical chair in the cathedral symbolizing governance and teaching authority, a practice rooted in early Christian symbolism of oversight.[14][15] Historically, episcopal sees originated in the apostolic era, with bishops appointed as successors to the apostles in key cities to maintain doctrinal unity and administer sacraments locally, as evidenced by New Testament references to overseers (episkopoi) in places like Ephesus and Philippi.[16] Apostolic sees, those directly linked to apostolic foundations, include Rome (associated with Peter and Paul), Antioch (Peter), Alexandria (Mark), and Jerusalem (James and Peter), which served as centers for evangelization and synodal decision-making by the 2nd century.[17] These sees expanded through missionary activity, with the church's hierarchical structure solidifying after the Edict of Milan in 313 AD legalized Christianity, enabling formal diocesan boundaries tied to Roman provinces. By the 4th and 5th centuries, sees were categorized by precedence: patriarchal sees (e.g., Rome, Alexandria, Antioch) held metropolitan authority over provinces, while suffragan sees reported to them; this culminated in the pentarchy framework under Emperor Justinian I (r. 527–565), elevating Constantinople alongside the older sees for administrative efficiency in the Byzantine Empire.[17] In canon law, a see becomes vacant (sede vacante) upon a bishop's death, resignation, or transfer, triggering apostolic administration until a successor's installation, ensuring continuity of jurisdiction.[15] The concept underscores causal links between localized episcopal authority and broader ecclesial unity, with the physical cathedral city defining the see's identity, as in the Diocese of Rome's Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran.[14]Holy See and Vatican contexts
The Holy See, from the Latin Sancta Sedes ("holy seat"), denotes the episcopal jurisdiction and central governing authority of the Catholic Church centered on the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, whose "see" or seat traces to the cathedra in Saint Peter's Basilica.[18] This usage of "see" emphasizes the apostolic throne inherited from Saint Peter, distinguishing it as the preeminent ecclesiastical see with universal jurisdiction over the Church's doctrine, sacraments, and governance.[19] The term originated in reference to the Pope's enthronement ceremony, symbolizing the fixed seat of authority rather than a geographical location alone.[20] Distinct from Vatican City State, the Holy See possesses an independent international legal personality predating the 1929 Lateran Treaty, which established the latter as a sovereign territory of 0.44 square kilometers to ensure the Holy See's autonomy from Italian control.[21] Vatican City serves as the Holy See's territorial base, housing administrative bodies like the Roman Curia and enabling diplomatic functions, but the Holy See's sovereignty extends beyond this enclave to include extraterritorial properties in Rome and global nunciatures.[22] In practice, the Holy See conducts its operations—such as issuing papal encyclicals, managing canon law, and maintaining relations with 183 states as of 2023—from Vatican City, yet it remains the spiritual entity unbound by the city's physical limits. Within Vatican contexts, "Holy See" formally describes the Pope's exercise of potestas jurisdictionis (jurisdictional power) over the worldwide Catholic faithful, approximately 1.4 billion as of 2023, encompassing legislative, executive, and judicial functions through entities like the Secretariat of State and dicasteries.[18] This framework underscores the Holy See's role in ecumenical councils, such as Vatican I (1869–1870), which defined papal infallibility regarding faith and morals ex cathedra (from the chair), reinforcing the "see" as the locus of definitive teaching authority.[19] Diplomatic engagements, including observer status at the United Nations since 1964, further highlight the Holy See's supranational character, separate from Vatican City's municipal governance.Places
German-derived lake names
In German-speaking regions of Europe, the noun "See" specifically denotes a lake, distinguishing it from "Meer" (sea), a semantic specialization that emerged in High German from earlier Proto-Germanic roots where the terms overlapped to describe both inland and coastal waters. This linguistic feature results in numerous lake names incorporating "See" as a suffix, particularly in southern Germany (Bavaria), Austria, and German-speaking Switzerland, where glacial and post-glacial topography favored lake formation. These toponyms often combine descriptive prefixes referring to local geography, tribes, or settlements with "See," reflecting Germanic naming conventions dating to medieval or earlier periods.[11] Prominent examples include the Bodensee (Lake Constance), a freshwater lake covering 536 square kilometers shared by Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, formed at the Rhine River's northern Alpine outlet around 16,000 years ago during post-Ice Age retreat; its name derives from the nearby village of Bodman rather than the city of Konstanz, as evidenced by Carolingian records.[23] [24] The Chiemsee, dubbed the "Bavarian Sea" for its size of 80.9 square kilometers in Upper Bavaria, originated from glacial melt and features islands like Herrenchiemsee, site of a Ludwig II palace replica of Versailles completed in 1885.[25] Similarly, the Starnberger See, 56 square kilometers in extent and Bavaria's second-largest lake, lies south of Munich and is historically tied to King Ludwig II's 1886 drowning, with its name possibly from Old High German "starna" denoting a type of fish or boundary.[25] Further instances encompass the Ammersee (47.3 square kilometers, Bavaria), fed by the Ammer River and valued for its clear waters supporting sailing since the 19th century; the Tegernsee (8.9 square kilometers, Bavaria), named after a 9th-century Benedictine abbey and frequented by Bavarian nobility for its Alpine setting; and the Eibsee (2 square kilometers at 973 meters elevation near Germany's Zugspitze peak), a cirque lake of Ice Age origin with emerald hues from glacial silt. These names underscore the prevalence of "See" in hydronymy across the region, where over 12,000 lakes exist, many post-glacially formed between 20,000 and 10,000 years ago.[26] [27]Other geographical features
The term "See" in German-influenced toponymy is primarily reserved for lakes, but it occasionally forms part of names for proximate landforms such as hills and viewpoints offering lake vistas. For example, the Seeberg near Meschrin in Germany's Müritz National Park is a prominent hill utilized as a scenic overlook for the surrounding lakelands within this 312-square-kilometer biosphere reserve established in 1990.[28] Such usages reflect the linguistic association of "See" with water bodies, extending to elevated terrain shaped by glacial activity in post-Ice Age landscapes common in northern Germany, where elevations rarely exceed 100 meters above sea level. No widespread application of "See" to rivers, bays, or unrelated landforms appears in standard geographic nomenclature, underscoring its specialized hydrographic connotation.[28]People
Surname See (Western convention)
The surname See, in Western convention, functions as a topographic descriptor for someone dwelling near the sea or a lake, stemming from Middle English se (Old English sǣ) or Middle High German sē, both denoting bodies of water.[29][30] Among German-origin bearers, it occasionally represents an anglicized form of Zeh, adapted by immigrants in English-speaking regions.[31] Early attestations appear in English records from the 14th century, with concentrations in areas like Kent, where families held manorial seats.[32][33] Census data from the 19th and early 20th centuries show the name distributed across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Scotland, peaking in U.S. prevalence around 1880 with over 1,000 families recorded, primarily in states like Pennsylvania and New York.[30] Genetic ancestry analyses of modern bearers indicate predominant British and Irish roots (about 41.5%), alongside German influences, reflecting migration patterns from Europe.[34] Notable individuals with the surname include:- Sir John See (1845–1907), a British-born Australian merchant and politician who emigrated to New South Wales in 1864, entered parliament in 1880, and served as the colony's 14th Premier from March 1901 to June 1904, overseeing early federation-era reforms; he was knighted KCMG in 1902 and died of heart failure in Randwick.[35][36]
- Elliott McKay See Jr. (1927–1966), a U.S. naval aviator and test pilot from Texas, selected as one of NASA's nine Group 2 astronauts in September 1962; he accumulated over 3,700 flight hours before dying in a T-38 Talon crash into a McDonnell plant during Gemini 9 training on February 28, 1966, alongside Charles Bassett.[37][38]
- Carolyn See (1934–2016), born Caroline Laws in Pasadena, California, an American novelist, essayist, and literary critic who earned a PhD from UCLA and taught English there as emerita professor; known for works like Golden Days (1986) exploring Southern California life, she reviewed books for The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times until her death from congestive heart failure.[39][40][41]