sophy

sophy · noun¹

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromσοφῐ́ᾱ“high knowledge”: “learning”, “wisdom”
2. Latin · derived fromsophia
3. Middle English · inherited fromsophie
4. English todaysophy

From the Middle English sophie, from the Latin sophia, from the Ancient Greek σοφῐ́ᾱ (sophĭ́ā, “high knowledge”: “learning”, “wisdom”); compare Sophia.

sophy · noun²

See Sophy.

sophy · noun³

1. Latin · derived fromsophī
2. English todaysophy

A back-formation from sophies, originally plurale tantum, but later attested in singular use (see the 1678 quotation), itself an irregular Anglicisation of the Latin sophī, whence the English sophi; compare sophy.

sophy · noun⁴

An irregular Anglicisation of sophi; compare sophy ³.

sophy · noun⁵

From the common termination of the class of words denoted (e.g., philosophy, theosophy, etc.); compare the earlier ology and ism, and the later logy and osophy.

Sophy · proper noun⁶

Ultimately from Ancient Greek; see Sophia.

Sophy · noun⁷

1. Arabic · borrowed fromصَفَوِيّ
2. English todaySophy

A corruption of Arabic صَفَوِيّ (ṣafawiyy), the nisba indicating the dynasty's descent from Safi ad-Din al-Ardabili. Cognate with Middle French Sophi, New Latin Sophi, Sophus, Italian sofì, Spanish sofí. Not related to Sufi. Spellings possibly influenced by the name Sophia.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• 16th c. Archaic form of Safawi (“a member of the Safavid dynasty”).