Where does “sweet” come from?
Sweet derives from Middle English sweete, from Old English swēte, from Proto-Germanic swait-, from Proto-Indo-European swoyd-, sweyd-, and sweh₂d-, with origins in a root meaning to burn or scorch.
sweet (English): Having a pleasant taste, especially one relating...
Definitions
- Having a pleasant taste, especially one relating...
Ancestry of “sweet”, step by step
sweet traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English swete
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | swete | sweet, pleasant-tasting; sweet in smell;... |
| 2 | Old English | swēte | sweet |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | swōtī | sweet |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | swōtuz | sweet |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | swéh₂dus | sweet |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sweh₂d- | sweet |
via French Ledoux
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | Ledoux | — |