saft
/sɑft/
adjective
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*saftiz — sap, juice
Overview
Meaning Now
- Juicy; containing a significant amount of liquid (fruit).
- Soft; mild or gentle in climate or texture (archaic or dialectal).
Literal older meaning
succulent, full of sap
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Middle Dutch → Dutch
Earliest form
saft
Earliest period
Middle Dutch, 13th century
Journey
The root is tied to the concept of fluid found in plants. In many Germanic languages, this developed into terms for both the physical sap and the resulting extracted liquid (juice/syrup).
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*saftiz
“sap, juice”
- Old Dutch
saft
“sap, juice”
- Middle Dutch
saft
“juicy, succulent”
Connections
Word parts
saft
root
sap, juice
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Related to saft
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.