Online Etymology Dictionary

sound (adj.): "uninjured," Old English gesund "sound, safe, healthy," from Proto-Germanic *sundas, from root *swen-to- (cf. Old Saxon gisund, Old Frisian sund, Dutch gezond, Old High German gisunt, German gesund "healthy," source of the post-sneezing interjection gesundheit; also Old English swið "strong," Gothic swinþs "strong," German geschwind "fast, quick"), with connections in Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic. Meaning "financially solid or safe" is attested from c.1600; of sleep, "undisturbed," from 1540s. Sense of "holding accepted opinions" is from 1520s. Soundly "completely" is attested from 1570s.
sound (v.2): "fathom, probe," mid-14c. (implied in sounding), from Old French sonder, from sonde "sounding line," perhaps from a Germanic source (cf. Old English sund "water, sea;" see sound (n.2)).
sound (n.2): "narrow channel of water," c.1300, from Old Norse sund "a strait, swimming," cognate with Old English sund "power of swimming, water, sea," both from Proto-Germanic *swumto-, from root *swem- (see swim (v.)).
sound (v.1): early 13c., sounen "to be audible," from Old French soner and directly from Latin sonare, from sonus (see sound (n.1)). From late 14c. as "to produce sound" (on an instrument, etc.). Related: Sounded; sounding.
soundtrack (n.): 1929, from sound (n.1) + track (n.).
soup (n.): "liquid food," 1650s, from French soupe "soup, broth," from Late Latin suppa "bread soaked in broth," from a Germanic source (cf. Middle Dutch sop "sop, broth"), from Proto-Germanic base *supp-, from PIE *sub-, from root *seue- "to take liquid" (see sup (v.2)). Primordial soup is from a concept first expressed 1929 by J.B.S. Haldane. Soup kitchen is attested from 1839. In Ireland, souper meant "Protestant clergyman seeking to make proselytes by dispensing soup in charity" (1854).
soup (v.): "increase the horsepower of an engine," 1921, probably from soup (n.) in slang sense of "narcotic injected into horses to make them run faster" (1911), influenced by supercharge (v.).
soupcon: 1766, from French soupçon "suspicion," from Old French sospeçon, from Late Latin suspectionem (see suspicion)
sour (adj.): Old English sur, from Proto-Germanic *suraz (cf. Old Norse surr, Middle Dutch suur, Dutch zuur, Old High German sur, German Sauer), from PIE root *suro- "sour, salty, bitter" (cf. Old Church Slavonic syru, Russian syroi "moist, raw;" Lithuanian suras "salty," suris "cheese"). French sur "sour, tart" (12c.) is a Germanic loan-word. The verb is attested from c.1300. Sense in whisky sour is from 1885. Sour cream is attested from 1855.
sourball (n.): 1900 as "constantly grumbling person;" 1914 as a type of candy; from sour (adj.) + ball (n.1).
source (n.): mid-14c., from Old French sourse "a rising, beginning, fountainhead of a river or stream," fem. noun taken from past participle of sourdre "to rise, spring up," from Latin surgere "to rise" (see surge). Meaning "written work (later also a person) supplying information or evidence" is from 1788.
sourdough (n.): c.1300, "fermented dough," from sour + dough. The meaning "Arctic prospector or pioneer" is from 1898 Yukon gold rush, from the practice of saving a lump of fermented dough as leaven for raising bread baked during the winter.
sourpuss (n.): 1937, from sour (adj.) + puss (n.2) "face."
sous chef: early 19c., from French sous, from Latin subtus "under, below" (see sub-) + chef.
sousaphone (n.): 1925, named for U.S. bandleader and composer John Philip Sousa (1854-1932).
The first sousaphone was made by C.G. Conn in 1899 expressly for Sousa's band and its bell opened directly upward. The present bell-front type was first made in 1908. ["International Cyclopedia of Music," 1939]
souse (v.): late 14c., "to pickle, steep in vinegar," from Old French sous (adj.) "preserved in salt and vinegar," from Frankish *sultja (related to Old Saxon sultia "salt water"), from Proto-Germanic *salt-, *sult- (see salt (n.)). Related: Soused; sousing.
souse (n.): "pig parts preserved and pickled," late 14c., from souse (v.).
soused (adj.): "drunk," 1610s, from past participle of souse (v.), on notion of one "pickled" in liquor.
souteneur (n.): "man who lives on the earnings of one or more prostitutes under his protection," 1906, French, literally "protector," from soutenir "to sustain" (see sustain).
souter (n.): "maker or mender of shoes," Old English sutere, from Latin sutor "shoemaker," from suere "to sew, stitch" (see sew).
south: Old English suð "southward, in the south," from Proto-Germanic *sunthaz (cf. Old Saxon, Old Frisian suth "southward, in the south," Middle Dutch suut), perhaps related to base of *sunnon "sun," with sense of "the region of the sun." German Süd, Süden are from a Dutch pronunciation. Old French sur, sud (French sud), Spanish sur, sud are loan-words from Germanic, perhaps from Old Norse suðr.

The Southern states of the U.S. have been collectively called The South since 1779 (though originally this often referred only to Georgia and South Carolina). South country in Britain means the part below the Tweed, in England the part below the Wash, and in Scotland the part below the Forth. South Sea meant "the Mediterranean" (late 14c.) and "the English Channel" (early 15c.) before it came to mean (in plural) "the South Pacific Ocean" (1520s). The nautical coat called a sou'wester (1836) protects the wearer against severe weather, such as a gale out of the southwest.
southern: Old English suðerne, from suð "south" (see south) + -erne, suffix denoting direction.
southpaw (n.): "lefthander," 1885, originally baseball slang, of pitchers, often said to have been coined by Finley Peter Dunne ("Mr. Dooley"), Chicago sports journalist and humorist, in the days when baseball diamonds were regularly oriented with home plate to the west. But south paw "a person's left hand" is attested from 1848 in the slang of pugilism.
Southron: late 15c., variant (originally Scottish and northern English) of southren (late 14c.), on analogy of Briton, Saxon, from Old English suðerne or Old Norse suðrænn "southern" (see south). Popularized in English by Jane Porter's "Scottish Chiefs" (1810), and adopted in U.S. by many in the Southern states.
souvenir (n.): 1775, "a remembrance or memory," from French souvenir, from Old French, noun use of souvenir (v.) "to remember, come to mind," from Latin subvenire "come to mind," from sub- "up" + venire "to come" (see venue). Meaning "token of remembrance, memento" is first recorded 1782.
sovereign: late 13c., from Old French soverain, from Vulgar Latin *superanus "chief, principal," from Latin super "over" (see super-). Spelling influenced by folk-etymology association with reign. Milton spelled it sovran, as though from Italian sovrano. Meaning "gold coin worth 22s 6d" first recorded late 15c.; value changed 1817 to 1 pound. As an adjective, attested from early 14c.; of remedies or medicines, "potent in a high degree," from late 14c.
sovereignty (n.): mid-14c., "pre-eminence," from Anglo-French sovereynete, from Old French souverainete, from soverain (see sovereign). Meaning "authority, rule" is recorded from late 14c.; sense of "existence as an independent state" is from 1715.
soviet: 1917, from Rus. sovet "governing council," literally "council," from Old Russian suvetu, from su "with" + vetu "counsel;" loan-translation of Greek symboulion "council of advisors."
Soviet Union: informal name of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; in use in U.S. newspapers by October 1919.
sow (v.): Old English sawan "to scatter seed upon the ground or plant it in the earth" (class VII strong verb; past tense seow, past participle sawen), from Proto-Germanic *sæjanan (cf. Old Norse sa, Old Saxon saian, Middle Dutch sayen, Dutch zaaien, Old High German sawen, German säen, Gothic saian), from PIE root *se- (cf. Latin sero, past tense sevi, past participle satum "to sow;" Old Church Slavonic sejo, sejati; Lithuanian seju, seti "to sow"), source of semen, season (n.), seed, etc. Figurative sense was in Old English.
sow (n.): Old English sugu, su "female of the swine," from Proto-Germanic *sugo (cf. Old Saxon, Old High German su, German Sau, Dutch zeug, Old Norse syr), from PIE root *su- (cf. Sanskrit sukarah "wild boar, swine;" Avestan hu "wild boar;" Greek hys "swine;" Latin sus "swine," swinus "pertaining to swine;" Old Church Slavonic svinija "swine;" Lettish sivens "young pig;" Welsh hucc, Irish suig "swine; Old Irish socc "snout, plowshare"), possibly imitative of pig noise, a notion reinforced by the fact that Sanskrit sukharah means "maker of (the sound) 'su.' " Related to swine. As a term of abuse for a woman, attested from c.1500.
Soweto: black African community outside Johannesburg, South Africa, formed from first letters of South Western Townships.
soy (n.): 1670s, saio "sauce for fish, made from soybeans," from Dutch soya, from Japanese soyu, variant of shoyu "soy," from Chinese shi-yu, from shi "fermented soy beans" + yu "oil." Etymology reflects Dutch presence in Japan long before English merchants began to trade there.
soya: "soy," 1670s; see soy. Soyaburger is attested from 1953.
soybean (n.): 1795, from soy + bean (n.).
sozzled (adj.): "drunk," 1886, from sozzle "to mix or mingle sloppily" (1836).
spa (n.): "medicinal or mineral spring," 1620s, from name of health resort in eastern Belgium, known since 14c., that featured mineral springs believed to have curative properties. The place name is from Walloon espa "spring, fountain."
space (n.): c.1300, "an area, extent, expanse, lapse of time," a shortening of Old French espace, from Latin spatium "room, area, distance, stretch of time," of unknown origin. Astronomical sense of "stellar depths" is first recorded 1667 in "Paradise Lost."
Space isn't remote at all. It's only an hour's drive away if your car could go straight upwards. [Sir Fred Hoyle, "London Observer," 1979]
Typographical sense is attested from 1670s (typewriter space bar is from 1888). Space age is attested from 1946; spacewalk is from 1965. Many compounds first appeared in science fiction and speculative writing, e.g. spaceship (1894, "Journey in Other Worlds"); spacesuit (1920); spacecraft (1930, "Scientific American"); space travel (1931); space station (1936, "Rockets Through Space"); spaceman (1942, "Thrilling Wonder Stories;" earlier it meant "journalist paid by the length of his copy," 1892). Space race attested from 1959. Space shuttle attested by 1970.
space (v.): 1703, "to arrange at set intervals," from space (n.). Meaning "to be in a state of drug-induced euphoria" is recorded from 1968. Space cadet "eccentric person disconnected with reality" (often implying an intimacy with hallucinogenic drugs) is a 1960s phrase, probably traceable to 1950s U.S. sci-fi television program "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet," which was watched by many children who dreamed of growing up to be one and succeeded.
spacious (adj.): late 14c., from Old French spacios or directly from Latin spatiosus (Medieval Latin spaciosus), from spatium (see space (n.)).
Spackle: proprietary name for a surfacing compound, 1927, probably based on German spachtel "putty knife, mastic, filler." The verb is attested from 1940. Related: Spackled; spackling.
spacy (adj.): also spacey, 1885, "large, roomy, spacious," from space (n.) + -y (2). Meaning "felt as characteristic of outer space" (especially with reference to electronic music) is attested from 1971, probably influenced by spaced-out (1965, American English slang), a reference to the behavior of people using hallucinogenic drugs (see space (v.)).
Spad: French biplane fighter of World War I, 1917, from French spad, from acronym of Societé pour Aviation et ses Dérivés.
spade (n.1): "tool for digging," Old English spadu, from Proto-Germanic *spadon (cf. Old Frisian spada, Middle Dutch spade, Old Saxon spado, Middle Low German spade, German Spaten), from PIE *spe- "long, flat piece of wood" (cf. Greek spathe "wooden blade, paddle," Old English spon "chip of wood, splinter," Old Norse spann "shingle, chip").

To call a spade a spade "use blunt language" (1540s) translates a Greek proverb (known to Lucian), ten skaphen skaphen legein "to call a bowl a bowl," but Erasmus mistook Greek skaphe "trough, bowl" for a derivative of the stem of skaptein "to dig," and the mistake has stuck.
spade (n.2): "figure on playing cards," 1590s, probably from Italian spade, plural of spada "sword, spade," from Latin spatha "broad, flat weapon or tool," from Greek spathe "broad blade" (see spade (n.1)). Phrase in spades "in abundance" first recorded 1929 (Damon Runyon), probably from bridge, where spades are the highest-ranking suit.
The invitations to the musicale came sliding in by pairs and threes and spade flushes. [O.Henry, "Cabbages & Kings," 1904]
Derogatory meaning "black person" is 1928, from the color of the playing card symbol.
spaghetti (n.): 1849 (as sparghetti, in Eliza Acton's "Modern Cookery"), from Italian spaghetti, plural of spaghetto "string, twine," diminutive of spago "cord," of uncertain origin. Spaghetti Western (one filmed in Italy) first attested 1969. Spaghetti strap is from 1972.
Spain: c.1200, from Anglo-French Espayne, from Late Latin Spania, from Latin Hispania (see Spaniard). The usual Old English form was Ispania.
spall (n.): "chip of stone," mid-15c., from Middle English verb spald "to split open" (early 14c.), from or related to Middle Dutch spalden, Middle Low German spalden, cognate with Old High German spaltan "to split" (see spill (v.)).
spam (n.): proprietary name registered by Geo. A. Hormel & Co. in U.S., 1937; probably a conflation of spiced ham. Soon extended to other kinds of canned meat. In the sense of "Internet junk mail" it was coined by Usenet users after March 31, 1993, when Usenet administrator Richard Depew inadvertently posted the same message 200 times to a discussion group. The term had been used in online text games, and it was from the comedy routine in British TV show "Monty Python's Flying Circus" (beloved by many intellectual geeks) where a restaurant's menu items all devolve into spam.
span (n.1): "distance between two objects," Old English span "distance between the thumb and little finger of an extended hand," probably related to Middle Dutch spannen "to join, fasten" (see span (n.2)).

The Germanic word was borrowed into Medieval Latin as spannus, hence Italian spanna, Old French espanne, French empan. As a measure of length, roughly nine inches. Meaning "length of time" first attested 1590s; that of "space between abutments of an arch, etc." is from 1725. Meaning "maximum lateral dimension of an aircraft" is first recorded 1909. Attention span is recorded from 1922.