sole

sole · adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*swé
2. Latin · derived fromsōlus“alone, single, solitary, lonely”
3. Old French · derived fromsol
4. Middle English · inherited fromsole
5. English todaysole

From Middle English sole, soule, from Old French sol, soul (“alone”), from Latin sōlus (“alone, single, solitary, lonely”). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swé (reflexive pronoun). Perhaps related to Old Latin sollus (“whole, complete”), from Proto-Indo-European *solh₂- (“safe, healthy”). More at save.

sole · noun, verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*swol-“sole”
2. Latin · derived fromsolea“sandal, bottom of the shoe”
3. Vulgar Latin · derived from*sola“bottom of the shoe”, also “flatfish”
4. Old French · derived fromsole
5. Anglo-Norman · derived fromsole
6. Old English · inherited fromsole
7. Middle English · inherited fromsole
8. English todaysole

From Middle English sole, soole, from Old English sole, solu. Reinforced by Anglo-Norman sole, Old French sole, from Vulgar Latin *sola (“bottom of the shoe”, also “flatfish”), from Latin solea (“sandal, bottom of the shoe”), from Proto-Indo-European *swol- (“sole”). Cognate with Dutch zool (“sole, tread”), German Sohle (“sole, insole, bottom, floor”), Danish sål (“sole”), Icelandic sóli (“sole, outsole”), Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌻𐌾𐌰 (sulja, “sandal”). Related to Latin solum (“bottom, ground, soil”). More at soil. Compare typologically Russian по́чва (póčva) akin to подо́шва (podóšva).

sole · noun³

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*sey-“to tie to, tie together”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*sailą
3. Old English · inherited fromsāl“a rope, cord, line, bond, rein, door-hinge, necklace, collar”
4. Middle English · inherited fromsole
5. English todaysole

From Middle English sole, soole, from Old English sāl (“a rope, cord, line, bond, rein, door-hinge, necklace, collar”), from Proto-Germanic *sailą, *sailaz (“rope, cable”), *sailō (“noose, rein, bondage”), from Proto-Indo-European *sey- (“to tie to, tie together”). Cognate with Scots sale, saile (“halter, collar”), Dutch zeel (“rope, cord, strap”), German Seil (“rope, cable, wire”), Icelandic seil (“a string, line”). Non-Germanic cognates include Albanian dell (“sinew, vein”).

sole · noun⁴

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*sūl-“thick liquid”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*sulą“mire, wallow, mud”
3. Old English · inherited fromsol“mire, miry place”
4. Middle English · inherited fromsol
5. English todaysole

From Middle English sol, from Old English sol (“mire, miry place”), from Proto-Germanic *sulą (“mire, wallow, mud”), from Proto-Indo-European *sūl- (“thick liquid”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian soal (“ditch”), Dutch sol (“water and mud filled pit”), German Suhle (“mire, wallow”), Norwegian saula, søyla (“mud puddle”). More at soil.

sole · verb⁵

1. Middle English · inherited fromsole“rope”
2. English todaysole

From earlier sowle (“to pull by the ear”). Origin unknown. Perhaps from sow (“female pig”) + -le, as in the phrase "take a sow by the wrong ear", or from Middle English sole (“rope”). See above.

Words from the same roots