English word origin

Etymology of sobby

From sob (“cry”) + -y.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 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

Very sad; inclined to sob (weep with convulsive gasps). · Resembling or characteristic of a sob.

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

From sob (“cry”) + -y.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Word-formation componentsoben
Word-formation component-yen

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "af",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sob",
        "3": "-y",
        "gloss1": "cry"
      },
      "expansion": "sob (“cry”) + -y"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "sob",
      "sob#English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Very sad; inclined to sob (weep with convulsive gasps).",
        "Resembling or characteristic of a sob."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "c96353748919a9655fbfe3f26c3cbc31b559ef059cd98d2159f6c90b9939b6b6",
      "rawRecordSha256": "1587c03d61c5e559d2067ac9b8b67062a399b5988951bd888d890468e846a52a",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 2447137
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

adj

That has been sobbed (soaked); saturated with moisture.

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

From sob (“soak”) + -y.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Word-formation componentsoben
Word-formation component-yen

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "af",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sob",
        "3": "-y",
        "gloss1": "soak"
      },
      "expansion": "sob (“soak”) + -y"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "sob",
      "sob#English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "That has been sobbed (soaked); saturated with moisture."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ],
      "recordId": "99fcec5ac692771ddea9c1ab23c45f277f912ae75cea3b3054cd660a4543d880",
      "rawRecordSha256": "b0ad18d32f23d80d9d76602b595545ff83f2eabf307ca5685f5a1532e7444c76",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 2447138
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

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 sobby →

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-c29iYnk