*sem-

The core idea of this root was:

as one, one unit

It’s the most visible in the English same and the German zusammen (together), but there are plenty of other words in the family, especially in English.

• single, singular (“as one”)
• simple (“one fold, one sided” then shifted toward “dumb”)
• resemble (“fitting something”)
• ensemble (“as one”)
• seem, seemingly (“fitting with one”)
• similar, similarity (“like one”)
• simulate (“make like one – imitate”)
• simultaneous (“at one time”)
• some (“one part”)
• -some, fearsome, awesome,… (“-like”)
• samsara (“the one flow”)

The root is also the origin of homo- and hetero- , which are Greek variations of it where the initial “s” changed to “h”.

The German branch of the family focused as lot of the idea of “together”.