1806, in reference to the Cyrenaic school of philosophy that deals with the ethics of pleasure; with -ist + Greek hēdone "pleasure, delight, enjoyment; a pleasure, a delight," which is related to hēdys "sweet" and cognate with Latin suavis, from PIE *swad-ona, suffixed form of root *swad- "sweet, pleasant" (see sweet (adj.)). Meaning "one who regards pleasure as the chief goal of life" is from 1854. A hedonist is properly the follower of any ethical system in which some sort of pleasure ranks as the highest good. The Epicurean identifies this pleasure with the practice of virtue.
early 15c., "gracious, kindly, pleasant, delightful," from Latin suavis "agreeable, sweet, pleasant (to the senses), delightful," from PIE root *swād- "sweet, pleasant" (see sweet (adj.)). In reference to persons, sense of "smoothly agreeable" first recorded 1815 (implied in suavity). Related: Suavely.
"to soften," usually figuratively, of pain, anger, passion, grief, etc., c. 1300, from Anglo-French assuager, Old French assoagier "soften, moderate, alleviate, calm, soothe, pacify," from Vulgar Latin *adsuaviare, from Latin ad "to" (see ad-) + suavis "sweet, agreeable" (from PIE root *swād- "sweet, pleasant;" see sweet (adj.)). For sound development in French, compare deluge from Latin diluvium, abridge from abbreviare. Related: Assuaged; assuaging.
1510s, from French dissuader and directly from Latin dissuadere "to advise against, oppose by argument," from dis- "off, against" (see dis-) + suadere "to urge, incite, promote, advise, persuade," literally "recommend as good" (related to suavis "sweet"), from PIE root *swād- "sweet, pleasant" (see sweet (adj.)).. Related: Dissuaded; dissuading.
late 14c., from Old French suasion (14c.) and directly from Latin suasionem (nominative suasio) "a recommending, advocacy, support," noun of action from past participle stem of suadere "to urge, incite, promote, advise, persuade," literally "recommend as good" (related to suavis "sweet"), from PIE root *swād- "sweet, pleasant" (see sweet (adj.)). Survives chiefly in phrase moral suasion (1640s). Latin Suada was the goddess of persuasion.
late 14c., persuasioun, "action of inducing (someone) to believe (something) by appeals to reason (not by authority, force, or fear); an argument to persuade, inducement," from Old French persuasion (14c.) and directly from Latin persuasionem (nominative persuasio) "a convincing, persuading," noun of action from past-participle stem of persuadere "persuade, convince," from per "thoroughly, strongly" (see per) + suadere "to urge, persuade," from PIE root *swād- "sweet, pleasant" (see sweet (adj.)).
Meaning "state of being convinced" is from 1530s; that of "religious belief, creed" is from 1620s. Colloquial or humorous sense of "kind, sort, nationality" is by 1864.
early 15c., dissuasioun, "advice or exhortation in opposition to something," from Old French dissuasion (14c.) and directly from Latin dissuasionem (nominative dissuasio) "an advice to the contrary," noun of action from past-participle stem of dissuadere "to advise against, oppose by argument," from dis- "off, against" (see dis-) + suadere "to urge, incite, promote, advise, persuade," literally "recommend as good" (related to suavis "sweet"), from PIE root *swād- "sweet, pleasant" (see sweet (adj.)).
[mark on skin resulting from a wound or hurt] late 14c., scarre, "trace left on skin by a healed wound, burn, etc.," from Old French escare "scab" (Modern French escarre), from Late Latin eschara, from Greek eskhara, in medical writing "scab formed after a burn," which is of uncertain origin.
The English sense probably shows influence of another noun scar "crack, cut, incision" (Middle English scarre, skar; attested from late 14c. into 17c.), which is from Old Norse skarð and related to score (n.). Figurative sense attested from 1580s. Old English glossed Latin cicatrix with dolhswað, from dolh "wound" + swað "track, trace."
Old English swete "pleasing to the senses, mind or feelings; having a pleasant disposition," from Proto-Germanic *swotja- (source also of Old Saxon swoti, Old Frisian swet, Swedish söt, Danish sød, Middle Dutch soete, Dutch zoet, Old High German swuozi, German süß), from PIE root *swād- "sweet, pleasant" (Sanskrit svadus "sweet;" Greek hedys "sweet, pleasant, agreeable," hedone "pleasure;" Latin suavis "pleasant" (not especially of taste), suadere "to advise," properly "to make something pleasant to"). Words for "sweet" in Indo-European languages typically are used for other sense as well and in general for "pleasing."
Then come kiss me, sweet-and-twenty!
Youth's a stuff will not endure.
["Twelfth Night"]
Also "being in a sound or wholesome state" (mid-13c.), and, of water, "fresh, not salt" (late Old English). As an intensifier from 1958. Sweet in bed (c. 1300) was the equivalent of modern "good in bed."
To be sweet on someone is recorded by 1690s. Sweet sixteen is recorded by 1767. Sweet dreams as a parting to one going to sleep is attested from 1897, short for sweet dreams to you, etc. Sweet-and-sour in cookery is from 1723 and not originally of Eastern dishes. Sweet nothings "sentimental trivialities" is from 1900. Sweet spot is from 1976, first in reference to tennis rackets. Sweet corn is from 1640s.
