English
soothe
Soothe comes from Middle English sothen ‘to verify, prove the validity of’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- ‘to be’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁es-‘to be’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sanþōną‘to prove, certify, acknowledge, testify’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sanþōn‘to prove true’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sōþian‘to verify, prove, confirm, bear witness to’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sothen‘to verify, prove the validity of’
- Englishearliest quotation 1603soothe
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁es-‘to be’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sanþōną‘to prove, certify, acknowledge, testify’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sanþōn‘to prove true’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150sōþian‘to verify, prove, confirm, bear witness to’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sothen‘to verify, prove the validity of’
- Englishearliest quotation 1603soothe
Earliest quotation: 1603, Plutarch, Of the Nouriture and Education of Children: “To be ſhort, a wretched and curſed generation they…”
first attested The semantic evolution of "to verify, prove the validity of" → "to comfort" (first attested in the late 17th century) comes from the notion of assuaging someone by supporting the truth of what they say (as stated in the etymology)
The story
The semantic evolution of "to verify, prove the validity of" → "to comfort" (first attested in the late 17th century) comes from the notion of assuaging someone by supporting the truth of what they say.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- ‘to be’
is, am, interest, potential, sin, sinful, swastika, quintessence, sinless, asana, 12 more
Today it means
verb To restore to ease, comfort, or tranquility; relieve; calm; quiet; refresh.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- / soothe