Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sweethearting” come from?

sweethearting (English) comes from English sweetheart, from English sweet, from Middle English swete, from Old English swēte, from Proto-West Germanic swōtī, from Proto-Germanic swōtuz, from Proto-Indo-European swéh₂dus, from Proto-Indo-European sweh₂d- — sweet.

sweethearting (English): courting; lovemaking; theft by employees at the...

Definitions

  1. courting; lovemaking; theft by employees at the...

Ancestry of “sweethearting”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsweetheartA person who is always very kind; A person very...
2EnglishsweetHaving a pleasant taste, especially one relating...
3Middle Englishswetesweet, pleasant-tasting; sweet in smell;...
4Old Englishswētesweet
5Proto-West Germanicswōtīsweet
6Proto-Germanicswōtuzsweet
7Proto-Indo-Europeanswéh₂dussweet
8Proto-Indo-Europeansweh₂d-sweet
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sweh₂d- →