Sweeten
/ˈswiːtən/noun
To make or become sweet in taste, smell, or quality.
Did you know?“Sweet” and “sweeten” descend from a very old Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to favor or please,” which also gave us words like *suit* and *persuade* through the idea of drawing something toward you.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swed-
“to please, favor, or make attractive”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*swōtaz
“sweet, pleasant to the taste or smell”
Old English
OE
swēte
“sweet, pleasing, delightful”
Middle English
ME
sweten
“to make sweet; to become sweet”
Modern English
English
sweeten
“to make or become sweet”