*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of dulce

Either a learned borrowing from Classical Latin dulcis or an alteration of earlier douce (from Middle English douce, from Old French douz, douce) after it. Doublet of dolce, douce, and doux.

5 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 5 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
adj

Sweet.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Either a learned borrowing from Classical Latin dulcis or an alteration of earlier douce (from Middle English douce, from Old French douz, douce) after it. Doublet of dolce, douce, and doux.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentiondouceenm
  • Derivation mentiondouzfro
  • Doublet mentiondolceen
  • Doublet mentiondouceen
  • Doublet mentiondouxen
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "dulcis",
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      },
      "expansion": "learned borrowing from Classical Latin dulcis"
    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "douce"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "douz"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French douz"
    },
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        "2": "dolce",
        "3": "douce",
        "4": "doux"
      },
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    }
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      "dulcis#Latin"
    ],
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      "douce#English"
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      "douce#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "douz#Old_French"
    ],
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      "douce#Old_French"
    ],
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      "dolce",
      "dolce#English"
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      "douce#English"
    ],
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      "doux",
      "doux#English"
    ]
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

Sweetness.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Partly a learned borrowing from Classical Latin dulce, use as noun of neuter of dulcis, and partly from the adjective (etymology 1).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    },
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      "args": {
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      "expansion": "¹"
    }
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      "dulcis#Latin"
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

Something sweet; a sweetmeat.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Spanish dulce (“sweetmeat”), use as noun of the adjective.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Borrowed-form mentiondulcees · sweetmeat
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "expansion": "Spanish dulce (“sweetmeat”)"
    },
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
verb

To sweeten or soothe.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English doucen, from the adjective (etymology 1).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentiondoucenenm
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "doucen",
      "doucen#Middle_English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
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      "glosses": [
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      ],
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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗
noun

Alternative form of dulse. · seaweed; kelp

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Alteration of dulse.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for dulce →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
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Import run
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Permanent entry ID
w-ZHVsY2U