swæþ

Old English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /swæθ/

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *swaþ, from Proto-Germanic *swaþō, from Proto-Indo-European *swem(bʰ)- (to bend, turn, swing).[1] Cognate with Old Norse svæði (open field).

Noun

swæþ n

  1. track, trace
  2. footprint
Declension

Strong a-stem:

singular plural
nominative swæþ swaþu
accusative swæþ swaþu
genitive swæþes swaþa
dative swæþe swaþum
Synonyms
Derived terms
Descendants
  • Middle English: swath, swathe
    • English: swath (swath)

Etymology 2

From Proto-West Germanic *swaþ-. Compare Middle Low German swēde (dressing for a wound, wrap, compress, bandage), Middle High German swede (wound dressing, bandage), Middle High German swade (strip, band, film).

Alternative forms

Noun

swæþ ?

  1. bandage; swathe
Usage notes
  • The exact gender and nominative form are unknown, as the word is attested once in the dative plural form swaþum.
Derived terms
Descendants

References

  1. ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959) “3030”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 3030