*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of softy

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sem- Proto-Germanic *samþuz /*samftuz Proto-Indo-European *-yos Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Germanic *-jaz Proto-West Germanic *-ī Proto-West Germanic *samft(ī) Old English sōfte M

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In this entry · 1 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.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
noun

A weak or sentimental person. · Somebody who finds it difficult to scold or punish. · A software expert who is ignorant of the workings of hardware. · A soft drink containing no alcohol.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sem- Proto-Germanic *samþuz /*samftuz Proto-Indo-European *-yos Proto-Indo-European *-yós Proto-Germanic *-jaz Proto-West Germanic *-ī Proto-West Germanic *samft(ī) Old English sōfte Middle English softe English soft Proto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij- Proto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English softy From soft + -y.

This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "soft",
        "4": "-y<id:diminutive>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *sem-\nProto-Germanic *samþuz /*samftuz\nProto-Indo-European *-yos\nProto-Indo-European *-yós\nProto-Germanic *-jaz\nProto-West Germanic *-ī\nProto-West Germanic *samft(ī)\nOld English sōfte\nMiddle English softe\nEnglish soft\nProto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij-\nProto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī\nOld English -iġ\nMiddle English -y\nEnglish -y\nEnglish softy\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"adjective\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ed\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-yos\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-yós\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-jaz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ī\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*samft(ī)\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"sōfte\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"softe\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"soft\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"id\" : \"diminutive\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"diminutive\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"diminutive\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-i, *-ī\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-j-, *-ij-\", \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-j-\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-i\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-iġ\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-y\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-y\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"softy\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"softy\">\nFrom soft + -y."
    },
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    }
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    ],
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      "*-yos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-yos"
    ],
    [
      "*-yós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-yós"
    ],
    [
      "*-jaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-jaz#Proto-Germanic:_-ed"
    ],
    [
      "*-ī",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-ī#Proto-West_Germanic:_adjective"
    ],
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      "*samft(ī)",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/samft(ī)"
    ],
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      "sōfte",
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    ],
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      "softe",
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      "soft",
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    ],
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    ],
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      "*-i, *-ī",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-i"
    ],
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      "-ig#Old_English:_diminutive"
    ],
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      "-y#Middle_English:_diminutive"
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    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A weak or sentimental person.",
        "Somebody who finds it difficult to scold or punish.",
        "A software expert who is ignorant of the workings of hardware.",
        "A soft drink containing no alcohol."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory",
        "informal",
        "mildly",
        "slang",
        "Commonwealth",
        "Ireland",
        "UK"
      ],
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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 softy →

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-c29mdHk