Proto-Germanic:
* The earliest known ancestor of "sweet" is the Proto-Germanic word "sūta". This word likely meant something like "juicy" or "savory" and wasn't specifically related to the taste sensation we know as sweetness.
Old English:
* In Old English, the word became "sūte". Its meaning expanded to include the sense of "pleasant" or "agreeable", not just referring to taste.
Middle English:
* By the time of Middle English, the word was "swete". The meaning continued to shift, with "sweet" increasingly associated with the taste we know today.
Modern English:
* The word "sweet" has remained relatively unchanged since Middle English, with its primary meaning now firmly fixed as the opposite of bitter, sour, or salty.
Other Interesting Points:
* While "sweet" is rooted in Proto-Germanic, it's worth noting that the word "sugar" has origins in Sanskrit. This reflects how different cultures have developed their own terms for this fundamental taste sensation.
So, while the exact path is a bit murky, the journey of the word "sweet" from its Proto-Germanic ancestor to its modern meaning is a fascinating example of how language evolves and adapts over time.