Etymograph

English

sweet

Sweet comes from Old English swēte ‘sweet’, from Proto-Germanic *swōtuz ‘sweet’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sweh₂d- ‘sweet’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sweh₂d-‘sweet’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*swéh₂dus‘sweet’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*swōtuz‘sweet’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*swōtī‘sweet’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150swēte‘sweet’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500swete‘sweet’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1611sweet

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-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*swōtuz‘sweet’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*swōtī‘sweet’reconstructed
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150swēte‘sweet’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500swete‘sweet’
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1611sweet

Earliest quotation: 1611, Benjamin Jonson, Catiline His Conspiracy: “VVherefore frovvnes my ſvveet? / Haue I too long…”

Linked words

pairs

  • sweet and persuade both from Proto-Indo-European *sweh₂d- ‘sweet’

through Proto-Indo-European *sweh₂d-

persuasive, persuasion, hedonism, hedonic, hedonist, 6 more

through Proto-Indo-European *swéh₂dus

suave, assuage, 4 more

through Middle English soot

soot, 1 more

Today it means

adj Tasting of sugars.

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

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

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