'sapid' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'sapidus,' where the root 'sapere' meant 'to taste' (and by extension 'to be wise').

'sapid' came into English from Late Latin 'sapidus' (via learned/technical Latin and occasional French usage) and produced derivatives such as the noun 'sapidity' and the adverb 'sapidly' in later English.

Initially it meant 'having taste' or 'tasty' in a literal, gustatory sense; over time it has also been used figuratively to mean 'interesting' or 'stimulating,' though the literal sense remains primary.