Where does “pigswill” come from?
pigswill (English) comes from English swill, from Middle English swilen, from Old English swillan, from Proto-West Germanic *swilljan, from Proto-Germanic swiljaną, from Proto-Indo-European swel- — to smolder; burn; scorch; beam, board, frame,...
pigswill (English): Synonym of swill: slops fed to pigs etc; Synonym...
Definitions
- Synonym of swill: slops fed to pigs etc; Synonym...
Ancestry of “pigswill”, step by step
pigswill traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English swill
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | swill | A mixture of solid and liquid food scraps fed to... |
| 2 | Middle English | swilen | to wash; swirl; wash away |
| 3 | Old English | swillan | to gargle |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *swilljan | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | swiljaną | to gulp, swallow |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | swel- | to smolder; burn; scorch; beam, board, frame,... |