Now arch. Forms: 1–3 soð (2 sod), 1, 3–5 soþ (3 soh, 4 soiþ, zoþ), 5 sooþ; 3–5 soth, 4–7, 9– sooth (5 south); 3 soþe (seohðe, 4 zoþe), 4–6 sothe; Sc. and north. 4–6 suth(e, 5–6 suith (6 soith), suythe, 6 swth. [OE. sóð, sóþ, = OS. sóð, ON. sannr, saðr (Sw. sann, Da. sand):—*sǫnþ-, sanþ- (pre-Teut. sont-), related by ablaut to Goth. sunjis true, sunja truth, and Skr. satyas true, real.]
After the first half of the 17th cent. only as a literary archaism, chiefly introduced by Scott and his contemporaries (cf. the note to SOOTH sb.).
† 1. True, veritable, real, genuine: a. Of things or qualities. Obs.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., vii. § 3. Ælc soþ wela and soþ weorþscipe sindan mine aʓne þeowas.
971. Blickl. Hom., 25. Mid ælmes-weorcum, & mid soþre hreowe.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd. (Rolls), I. 376. Þis is soð læcæcræft.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 191. Swo doð þe werse, þenne he auint mannes heorte emti of rihte bileue and of soðere luue.
c. 1275. Moral Ode, 362, in O. E. Misc. He is soþ sunne and briht and day bute nyhte.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 1264. Vor siker þis is þe soþe wei wiþ oute eni mis-wrenche.
1340. Ayenb., 12. In zoþ & guode byleaue. Ibid., 126. He his to-delþ … be uour þinges þet zoþ loue makeþ.
† b. Of persons, esp. of the Deity. Obs.
a. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., John vii. 40. [Hia] cuoedon ðes is soð uitʓa. Ibid., xvii. 3. Ðas … is uutudlice ece lif þætte onʓeattað ðec enne soð god.
971. Blickl. Hom., 33. He wæs soþ man,… swylce he wæs soþ God.
a. 1200. Vices & Virtues, 25. Fader & sune & hali gast is an soþ almihti godd.
c. 1320. Cast. Love, 648. Ysayȝe … clepede him wonderful for þon, þat he is soþ God and soþ mon.
2. True; in accordance with truth; not false or fictitious: a. In predicative use.
Not always clearly distinguishable from SOOTH sb. 1.
c. 825. Vesp. Psalter xviii. 10. Domas godes [sind] soðe.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxviii. § 2. Ic eom ʓeþafa þæt þæt is soð þæt ðu ær sædest.
971. Blickl. Hom., 53. Soþ is þæt ic eow secgge.
c. 1100. O. E. Chron. (MS. F), an. 995. Ealla þa wisuste menn … þa cuðan Þat soðuste seggan [etc.].
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 55. Þet is al soð ful iwis.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2842. He nam so forð, soð it is.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 3. Louerd, he seide, ȝif it is soth þat þou man and god beo.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 482. Ȝyf hyt be soth þat þou conez saye.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., Prol. 14. For, god wot, thing is neuer the lasse sooth, Thogh euery wight ne may it nat y-see.
c. 1450. Bk. Curtasye, 211, in Babees Bk. A schort worde is comynly sothe Þat fyrst slydes fro monnes tothe.
a. 1500[?]. Chester Pl., XI. 70. Therfore, as it was a-misse, I haue written that souther is.
c. 1550. Rolland, Crt. Venus, I. 564. Thay ar richt suith and ar of sentence fow.
1605. Shaks., Macb., V. v. 40. If thy speech be sooth.
1642. Jer. Taylor, Episc. (1647), 260. Wee shall find all this to be sooth, and full of order.
1813. Byron, Br. Abydos, II. x. I have a tale thou hast not dream’d, If sooth—its truth must others rue.
1840. Miss Strickland, Queens Eng. (1864), I. 160. The kings knew her words to be sooth.
1879. Butcher & Lang, Odyssey, 59. The ancient one of the sea, whose speech is sooth.
phr. 13[?]. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., xxiii. 796. To seke men is ȝiue þorwh þe An hele, soþ as gospelle.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Merch. T., 23. As soth as God is king.
c. 1440. Partonope, 153. And that hit were as sothe as gospell.
b. In attributive use.
c. 1205. Lay., 4652. Sonden commen bi-twenen, Þe soðe word me seiden.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 17. Cristene men oȝen ben so faȝen … ðan man hem telled soðe tale.
13[?]. Cursor M., 12146 (Gött.). Quarfor þan wil ȝe noght trow, Sother þinges þat i tell ȝu?
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 9. And suth thyngis that ar likand Tyll mannys heryng, ar plesand.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 11. Sothe stories ben stoken vp, & straught out of mind.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 126. The contrair is the suth opynioun.
1530. Palsgr., 325/1. Sothe, trewe, veritable.
1847. Mary Howitt, Ballads, 238. This book which I had from thee contains the soothest lore.
a. 1869. C. Spence, Poems (1898), 137. The following tale Shall stand a witness, sooth and leal.
prov. 1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 72. Sooth bourd is no bourd, in ought that mirth doothe.
1591. Harington, Orl. Fur., Apol. Poet. P vj. As the old saying is, (sooth boord is no boord).
1721. Kelly, Scot. Prov., 3.
3. Of persons, etc.: Telling or speaking the truth; truthful. Also const. in (speech, etc.), of (one’s word).
For the ME. phr. soð cnawes beon see KNOW sb.1
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 698. Vor Alured seyde þat wel cuþe, Euer he spak mid soþe muþe.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 24078. Fair he was and fre, mi child, Soth in speche, in maner mild.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sqr.’s T., 13. Pitous and Iust, and ever-more y-liche, Sooth of his word, benigne and honurable.
a. 1568. Montgomerie, Misc. Poems, i. 13. I haif hard oft-tymis suith men say.
1634. Milton, Comus, 823. Melibœus…, The soothest Shepherd that ere pip’t on plains.
1757. Dyer, Fleece, I. 630. Hoar-headed Damon…, soothest shepherd of the flow’ry vale.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., I. xxiv. Announced by prophet sooth and old.
1894. [Mrs. Oliphant], in Blackw. Mag., July, 14/2. I ken a sooth face from a leeing ane.
4. poet. Soothing, soft; smooth.
1819. Keats, To Sleep, 5. O soothest Sleep! if so it please thee, close In midst of this thine hymn my willing eyes. Ibid. (1820), Eve St. Agnes, xxx. A heap Of candied apple…, With jellies soother than the creamy curd.
