Old English sopp- "bread soaked in some liquid," (in soppcuppe "cup into which sops are put"), from Proto-Germanic *supp-, related to Old English verb suppan (see sup, v.2), probably reinforced by Old French soupe (see soup, n.). Meaning "something given to appease" is from 1660s, a reference to the sops given by the Sibyl to Cerberus in the "Aeneid."

Old English soppian, from the source of sop, n.. Related: Sopped; sopping.