'soft-spoken' originates from the combination of 'soft' and 'spoken', where 'soft' meant 'gentle' and 'spoken' referred to 'speech'.

'soft-spoken' evolved from the Old English word 'softe' meaning 'gentle' and 'specan' meaning 'to speak', eventually forming the modern English word 'soft-spoken'.

Initially, it meant 'gentle in speech', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.