"sweetheart," 1748, from the name of Don Quixote's mistress in Cervantes' romance, the name is a Spanish fem. derivative of Latin dulce "sweet" (see dulcet).
Entries linking to dulcinea
dulcet adj.
"sweet to the senses," especially of taste, also "melodious, harmonious," late 14c., doucet, from Old French doucet, diminutive of doux "sweet," earlier dulz, from Latin dulcis, from Proto-Italic *dulkwi-, from PIE *dlk-wi-, suffixed form of root *dlk-u- "sweet," which probably is also the source of Greek glykys "sweet" (compare gluco-).