Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sweetstuff” come from?

sweetstuff (English) comes 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.

sweetstuff (English): Any sweet, sugary edible; confectionery

Definitions

  1. Any sweet, sugary edible; confectionery

Ancestry of “sweetstuff”, step by step

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