An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/sanft

by Friedrich Kluge

sanft, adjective, ‘soft, gentle,’ from Middle High German sęnfte, adjective, sanfte, adverb, Old High German sęmfti, adjective, samfto, adverb, ‘softly’; corresponding to the equivalent Old Saxon sâfti, adjective, safto, adverb (compare sacht), Anglo-Saxon sêfte, adjective, sôfte, adverb, ‘softly’ (English soft); wanting in East Teutonic. Do the cognates belong to Gothic samjan, ‘to please’? (compare Ranft, from the root ram). Derivative Sänfte.