Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sooth” come from?

Sooth comes from Old English sōþ, from Proto-Germanic sanþaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₁sónts, ultimately from the root h₁es- meaning "to be."

sooth (English): Truth; Augury; prognostication; Blandishment;...

Definitions

  1. Truth; Augury; prognostication; Blandishment;...

Ancestry of “sooth”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsooth—
2Old Englishsōþtrue, sooth; truth; true, actual, real
3Proto-West Germanicsanþtrue; truth
4Proto-Germanicsanþaztrue, real
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁sóntsactive participle of *h₁ésti; being, existence;...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ēs-—

Words derived from “sooth”

  • soother
  • soothsaying
  • soothsay
  • soothest
  • insooth
  • soothful
  • soothness
  • soothen
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ēs- →