Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “sweete” come from?

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

sweete (Middle English): Alternative form of swete

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of swete

Ancestry of “sweete”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishswētesweet
2Proto-West Germanicswōtīsweet
3Proto-Germanicswōtuzsweet
4Proto-Indo-Europeanswéh₂dussweet
5Proto-Indo-Europeansweh₂d-sweet

Words derived from “sweete”

  • sweet
  • sweetheart
  • sweetened
  • sweetie
  • sweeten
  • sweetener
  • unsweetened
  • sweetmeat
  • sweetish
  • semisweet
  • sweetbread
  • meadowsweet
  • sweetgrass
  • sweetbrier
  • sweeting
  • sweety
  • sweetgum
  • sweethearting
  • sweetshop
  • sweetstuff
  • sweetfaced
  • sweetpea
  • sweetling
  • sweetsop
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sweh₂d- →