Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sward” come from?

Sward comes from Middle English sward, from Proto-Germanic swarduz, from Proto-Indo-European swer-.

sward (English): A layer of earth into which grass has grown;...

Definitions

  1. A layer of earth into which grass has grown;...

Ancestry of “sward”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishswordA long-bladed weapon with a hilt, and usually a...
2Middle Englishswordsword, sabre; Military might or power
3Old EnglishswordAlternative form of sweord
4Old Englishsweorda sword
5Proto-Germanicswerdąsword
6Proto-Indo-Europeanswēr-heavy

Words derived from “sward”

  • greensward
  • swarth
  • swarded
  • soord
  • swardy
  • swarthness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swēr- →