soft
/sɒft/
adjective
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*sanftijaz — gentle, pleasant
Overview
Meaning Now
- Easy to mold, cut, compress, or fold; not hard or firm to the touch.
- Pleasant and not physically strengthening; lacking intensity or harshness (as in light or sound).
- Lenient or lacking in toughness or vigor.
Literal older meaning
gentle, pleasing, or unresisting
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
sōfte
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word originally carried a connotation of 'agreeable' or 'pleasant' (similar to German 'sanft') before shifting its primary meaning to physical texture in Middle English. The loss of the nasal 'n' before the 'f' is a characteristic feature of the Ingvaeonic (North Sea Germanic) languages.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*sanftijaz
“gentle, soft”
- Old English
sōfte
“gentle, mild, pleasant”
Adverbial and adjectival use.
- Middle English
softe
“yielding to pressure, quiet, gentle”
- Modern English
soft
“yielding, mild, lacking resistance”
Connections
Word parts
soft
root
yielding or gentle
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Related to soft
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.