swefn

• swefen

From Proto-West Germanic *swefn, from Proto-Germanic *swefnaz (“sleep, dream”), from Proto-Indo-European *swépnos.

Cognate with Old Saxon sweƀan, Old Norse svefn. The Indo-European root also led to Ancient Greek ὕπνος (húpnos), Latin somnus, Old Irish suan, Old Church Slavonic сънъ (sŭnŭ), Lithuanian sãpnas.

• IPA^(key): /swefn/, [swevn]

swefn n

1. dream

   Iċ ġefylde mīn swefn.

   I fulfilled my dream.

   Iċ nǣfre ne ġeman mīnra swefna.

   I never remember my dreams.

• “To have a dream” is expressed with mǣtan (“to dream”), not habban (“to have”): Ġiestran niht mē mǣtte swefn þæt iċ wǣre fram wulfe forswolgen (“Last night I had [lit. dreamed] a dream that I was devoured by a wolf”).

Strong a-stem:

• swefnian
• swefniend
• swefnreċċere
• unswefn

• Middle English: sweven, swevyn, swevon, swevene, swevne, swheven, squeven, sueven, seven, swene, swefen, suefen, sweoven
  • English: sweven
  • Scots: sweven, swevyn

• mǣtan