sad

Where does the word "sad" come from? It comes from Old English sæd, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Sad’s story begins in Old English: sæd meant “full, sated.” 'sated, full, weary of', from the same root as Latin satis 'enough'. It reached English by 1300s as sad. Shifted through 'steadfast, serious' to 'sorrowful' by the 1300s; 'sad bread', heavy and badly risen, keeps the old sense of 'solid, dense'. Today, sad means feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy.

1. Stage 1 · Old English · medieval sæd "full, sated", 'sated, full, weary of', from the same root as Latin satis 'enough'.
2. Stage 2 · Middle English · 1300s sad "serious; sorrowful", shifted through 'steadfast, serious' to 'sorrowful' by the 1300s; 'sad bread', heavy and badly risen, keeps the old sense of 'solid, dense'.