*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of soup

The noun is from Middle English soupe, sowpe, from Old French soupe, souppe, sope, from Late Latin suppa (“sopped bread”), from Proto-Germanic *supô (compare Middle Dutch sope (“broth”)). Doublet of sop and zuppa. See al

6 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 6 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 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
verb

To feed: to provide with soup or a meal. · To develop (film) in a (chemical) developing solution. · To proselytize by feeding the impoverished as long as they listen to one's preaching.

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

The noun is from Middle English soupe, sowpe, from Old French soupe, souppe, sope, from Late Latin suppa (“sopped bread”), from Proto-Germanic *supô (compare Middle Dutch sope (“broth”)). Doublet of sop and zuppa. See also sup and supper. The verb is from the noun.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionsoupeenm
  • Derivation mentionsoupefro
  • Derivation mention*supôgem-pro
  • Cognate mentionsopedum
  • Doublet mentionsopen
  • Doublet mentionzuppaen
Inspect preserved source fields

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

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Source etymology 1 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

Any of various dishes commonly made by combining liquids, such as water or stock, with other ingredients, such as meat and vegetables, that contribute the food value, flavor, and texture. · A serving of such a dish, typically in a bowl. · The liquid part of such a dish; the broth. · Any mixture or substance suggestive of soup consistency.

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

The noun is from Middle English soupe, sowpe, from Old French soupe, souppe, sope, from Late Latin suppa (“sopped bread”), from Proto-Germanic *supô (compare Middle Dutch sope (“broth”)). Doublet of sop and zuppa. See also sup and supper. The verb is from the noun.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionsoupeenm
  • Derivation mentionsoupefro
  • Derivation mention*supôgem-pro
  • Cognate mentionsopedum
  • Doublet mentionsopen
  • Doublet mentionzuppaen

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

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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

Alternative form of sup (“to sip; to take a small amount of food or drink into the mouth, especially with a spoon”).

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

From Middle English soupen, from Old English sūpan (“to sup, sip”), from Proto-Germanic *sūpaną. More at sup.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

Alternative form of sup (“a sip; a small amount of food or drink”).

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

From Middle English soupe, from Old English sūpe (“sup; draught”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionsoupeenm
  • Inherited-form mentionsūpeang · sup; draught
Inspect preserved source fields

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

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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
verb

To sweep.

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

From Middle English swopen, from Old English swāpan (“to sweep”), from Proto-Germanic *swaipaną (“to sweep”). More at sweep.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionswopenenm
  • Inherited-form mentionswāpanang · to sweep
  • Inherited-form mention*swaipanągem-pro · to sweep
Inspect preserved source fields

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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗
verb

Rare form of sup (“to take supper”).

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

From Middle English soupen, suppen, from Anglo-Norman super, from supe, soupe (“soup”) + -er (verb-forming suffix).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionsoupenenm
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 soup →

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
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-c291cA