Etymograph

English

soup

Soup comes from Old French soupe, from Late Latin suppa ‘sopped bread’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *suppōną ‘to soak’.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*suppōną‘to soak’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sūpaną‘to drink, sip’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*supô‘soup, broth’reconstructed
  4. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsuppa‘sopped bread’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400soupe
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1430soup

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*suppōną‘to soak’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sūpaną‘to drink, sip’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*supô‘soup, broth’reconstructed
  4. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEsuppa‘sopped bread’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400soupe
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1430soup

Earliest quotation: c. 1430, Thomas Austin: “Soupes dorye. — Take gode almaunde mylke […] caste…”

The story

The noun is from Middle English soupe, sowpe, from Old French soupe, souppe, sope, from Late Latin suppa (‘sopped bread’), from Proto-Germanic *supô (compare Middle Dutch sope (‘broth’)).

Linked words

through Proto-Germanic *sūpaną ‘to drink, sip’

sup, 1 more

through Proto-Germanic *supô ‘soup, broth’

sop, 2 more

through Late Latin suppa ‘sopped bread’

supper, 4 more

Another origin of soup

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*suppōną‘to soak’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sūpaną‘to drink’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sūpanreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150sūpan‘to sup, sip’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500soupen‘to swallow’
  6. Englishtodaysoup

Another origin of soup

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*su(H)ph₃néh₂-uncertain
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*suppōną‘to soak’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*sūpaną‘to drink’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*sūpan‘to drink greedily, slurp’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150sūpanas sūpe‘sup’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500soupe‘a meal consisting of sopped bread with soup, stock, gravy or broth poured over it’
  7. Englishtodaysoup

Today it means

noun Any of various dishes commonly made by combining liquids, such as water or stock, with other ingredients, such as meat and vegetables, that contribute the food value, flavor, and texture.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *suppōną / soup

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