soon

Definition

Short in length of time from the present.

Etymology

From Middle English sone, from Old English sōna (“immediately, at once”), from Proto-West Germanic *sān(ō), from Proto-Germanic *sēna, *sēnô (“immediately, soon, then”), from *sa (demonstrative pronoun), from Proto-Indo-European *só (demonstrative pronoun). Cognate with Scots sone, sune, schone (“soon, quickly, at once”), North Frisian san (“immediately, at once”), dialectal Dutch zaan (“soon, before long”), Middle Low German sân (“right afterwards, soon”), Middle High German sān, son (“soon, then”), Old High German sār (“immediately, soon”). Compare also Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐍃 (suns, “immediately, soon”), from Proto-Germanic *suniz (“soon”).

Example Sentences

• "I need the soonest date you have available."
• "Late in the evening we arrived at Quincy where we bivouacked for the night and taken a soon start the next morning to march to the arsenal."
• "Got up pretty early, ate a soon breakfast, had the sulky and was about to start to Newtown when it commenced raining.."