sole

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Being the only one; single.

   She is the sole survivor of the accident.

2. 2
   adj

   Belonging to or used by one person or group only; not shared.

   He has sole responsibility for the project.

3. 3
   noun

   The bottom part of a shoe or of the foot.

   The soles of my shoes are worn out from all the walking.

4. 4
   noun

   A flat sea fish that is eaten as food.

   We ordered grilled sole with lemon at the restaurant.

Simplified etymology

Sole represents three Middle English words with two origins. The noun for the underside of the foot came through French from Latin solea “sandal, sill,” itself related to solum “ground”; this word was later borrowed for the flatfish because its shape resembles a sole. The adjective meaning “only” comes from Latin solus “alone,” also the source of solitary, desolate, solo, and solitaire.

From Middle English sole, soole, from Old English sole, solu. Reinforced by Anglo-Norman sole, Old French sole, from Vulgar Latin *sola (“bottom of the shoe”, also “flatfish”), from Latin solea (“sandal, bottom of the shoe”), from Proto-Indo-European *swol- (“sole”). Cognate with Dutch zool (“sole, tread”), German Sohle (“sole, insole, bottom, floor”), Danish sål (“sole”), Icelandic sóli (“sole, outsole”), Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌻𐌾𐌰 (sulja, “sandal”). Related to Latin solum (“bottom, ground, soil”). More at soil. Compare typologically Russian по́чва (póčva) akin to подо́шва (podóšva).

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary