Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “milksop” come from?

milksop (English) comes from English sop, from Middle English sop, from Old French sope, from Latin suppa, from Proto-Germanic supô, from Proto-Indo-European sewH-, from Proto-Indo-European sew- — to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to...

milksop (English): A piece of bread sopped in milk; Bread pieces in...

Definitions

  1. A piece of bread sopped in milk; Bread pieces in...

Ancestry of “milksop”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsopSomething entirely soaked; A piece of solid food...
2Middle Englishsopsmall amount of food
3Old FrenchsopeAlternative form of supe; soup
4Latinsuppasopped bread
5Proto-Germanicsupôsoup, broth
6Proto-Indo-EuropeansewH-to bear; to give birth
7Proto-Indo-Europeansew-to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to...

Words derived from “milksop”

  • milksoppy
  • milksoppish
  • milksoppery
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sew- →