savory

the word savory traces its lineage to the latin noun 'sapor', meaning taste or flavor. this term entered english via the old french 'savour', which evolved into the english noun 'savor', denoting a distinctive taste or smell. the adjective-forming suffix '-y' was then appended, creating 'savory' to describe something possessing the quality of a good taste. over time, its meaning specialized within english to specifically characterize pleasant, piquant, salty, or spicy flavors, in contrast to sweetness, while also developing a secondary, figurative sense denoting moral wholesomeness.

Structure: savor (taste) + y (adjective suffix) savor (from old french 'savour', from latin 'sapor' meaning taste, flavor); y (a native english suffix forming adjectives meaning "having the quality of")