soupcon

Where does the word "soupcon" come from? It comes from Latin suspicere, passing through Old French and French before entering English (1766).

Soupcon’s story begins in Latin: suspicere meant “to suspect.” Sub- 'under' plus specere 'to look' - to look up at, view with suspicion. By 1100s, the word had taken hold in Old French as sospecon. Kept the sense of suspicion or worry. From there it passed into French as soupcon by medieval. Weakened from mistrust to the faintest possible trace of something. It reached English by 1766 as soupcon. Borrowed for a barely perceptible hint or amount. Today, soupcon means a very small amount or trace of something.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient suspicere "to suspect", sub- 'under' plus specere 'to look' - to look up at, view with suspicion.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · 1100s sospecon "suspicion, worry", kept the sense of suspicion or worry.
3. Stage 3 · French · medieval soupcon "a slight suspicion; a trace", weakened from mistrust to the faintest possible trace of something.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1766 soupcon "a slight trace or suggestion", borrowed for a barely perceptible hint or amount.