sooth

Etymology 1

From Middle English sooth, from Old English sōþ (“truth; true, actual, real”), from Proto-West Germanic *sanþ, from Proto-Germanic *sanþaz (“truth; true”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁sónts, *h₁s-ont- (“being, existence, real, true”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- (“to be”). Akin to Old Saxon sōþ (“true”), Old High German sand (“true”), Old Norse sannr (“true”), Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌾𐌰 (sunja, “truth”), Old English synn (“sin, guilt"; literally, "being the one guilty”). More at sin.

noun

1. (archaic) Truth.
2. (obsolete) Augury; prognostication.
3. (obsolete) Blandishment; cajolery.
4. (obsolete) Reality; fact.

adj

1. (archaic) True.
2. (obsolete) Pleasing; delightful; sweet.

adv

1. (archaic) In truth; indeed.

Etymology 2

verb

1. Obsolete form of soothe.
   Hereupon it is, that these sportulary preachers are fain to sooth up their many masters […] 1649, Joseph Hall, Resolutions and Decisions of Divers Practicall cases of Conscience
   “Wi’ hat in hand,” sweet lass, quo I, / “Wer't in my power to sooth thy sigh, / My hame-bor’d whistle I wad try, / An’ gie’t a screed, / Atween whar Tiviot murmurs by, / An’ bonny Tweed.” 1811, Andrew Scott, “Answer to Mr. J. M.’s Epistle”, in Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, Kelso, Roxburghshire: […] Alexander Leadbetter, for the author; and sold by W[illiam] Creech,[…], →OCLC, page 123