Where does “swag” come from?

Swag comes from Middle English swagen, from Old Norse sveggja, meaning to swing or sway.

swag (English): To sway; To droop; to sag; To decorate with...

Definitions

  1. To sway; To droop; to sag; To decorate with...

Ancestry of “swag”, step by step

swag traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English swagen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishswagen—
2Old Norsesveggjato swing, sway
3Proto-Germanicswinganąto swing
4Proto-Indo-Europeanswenk-to bend, swing, swivel

via Middle English swaggen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishswaggen—

via Middle English swoggen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishswoggen—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swenk- →Every word from Proto-Germanic swinganą →Every word from Old Norse sveggja →