Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Swede” come from?

Swede comes from Middle Low German Swêde, a term for a person from Sweden whose ultimate origin and meaning remain uncertain.

Swede (English): A person from Sweden or of Swedish descent; A...

Definitions

  1. A person from Sweden or of Swedish descent; A...

Ancestry of “Swede”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Low GermanSwêde—
2Proto-Germanicswihôa Swede
3Proto-Germanicswe-"one's own, self"

Words derived from “Swede”

  • Swedish
  • Swedeling
Every word from Proto-Germanic swe- →