Etymograph

English

suavity

Suavity comes from Latin suāvitās ‘sweetness (of taste)’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *sweh₂d-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sweh₂d-‘sweet’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*swéh₂dus‘sweet’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*suādwusreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*swāwisreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuāvis‘sweet’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuāvitās‘sweetness (of taste)’
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600suavité
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500suavite
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1513suavity

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sweh₂d-‘sweet’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*swéh₂dus‘sweet’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*suādwusreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*swāwisreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuāvis‘sweet’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsuāvitās‘sweetness (of taste)’
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600suavité
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500suavite
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1513suavity

Earliest quotation: 1513, Henry Bradshaw: “Whan this ſayd monument diſcouered was / Suche a…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *sweh₂d- ‘sweet’

persuade, persuasive, persuasion, hedonism, hedonic, hedonist, 5 more

through Proto-Indo-European *swéh₂dus ‘sweet’

sweet, 3 more

through Latin suāvis ‘sweet’

assuage, suave, 2 more

Today it means

noun The quality of being sweet or pleasing to the mind; agreeableness; pleasantness

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sweh₂d- / suavity

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