Etymograph

English

soothfast

Soothfast comes from Old English sōþfæst ‘true, trustworthy’, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁s-ónt-s ‘being, existing’, and ultimately from *h₁es- ‘to be’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁es-‘to be’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁s-ónt-s‘being, existing’reconstructedpresent participle of *h₁es-
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sanþaz‘true, truthful, correct’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sanþ‘true’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*sanþafast‘true’reconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150sōþfæst‘true, trustworthy’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sothfast
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1818soothfast

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁es-‘to be’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁s-ónt-s‘being, existing’reconstructedpresent participle of *h₁es-
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sanþaz‘true, truthful, correct’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sanþ‘true’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*sanþafast‘true’reconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150sōþfæst‘true, trustworthy’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500sothfast
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1818soothfast

Earliest quotation: 1818, Jedediah Cleishbotham pseudonym; Walter , Tales of My Landlord: “Why do not you […] bear leal and soothfast…”

A compound of sooth + fast

Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- ‘to be’

…

Proto-Germanic *sanþaz ‘truth’

Proto-West Germanic *sanþ ‘true’

Old English sōþ ‘truth’

Middle English sooth

English sooth

Proto-Germanic *fastuz ‘fixed’

Proto-West Germanic *fast ‘fixed’

Old English fæst ‘firm’

Middle English fast

English fast

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- ‘to be’

is, am, interest, potential, sin, sinful, swastika, quintessence, sinless, asana, 12 more

Today it means

adj Actual; real.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- / soothfast

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