Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “swarthness” come from?

swarthness (English) comes from English swarth, from English sward, from English sword, from Middle English sword, from Old English sword, from Old English sweord, from Proto-Germanic swerdą, from Proto-Indo-European swēr- — heavy.

swarthness (English): Archaic form of swarthiness

Definitions

  1. Archaic form of swarthiness

Ancestry of “swarthness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishswarthAlternative form of sward; swarthy; An apparition...
2EnglishswardA layer of earth into which grass has grown;...
3EnglishswordA long-bladed weapon with a hilt, and usually a...
4Middle Englishswordsword, sabre; Military might or power
5Old EnglishswordAlternative form of sweord
6Old Englishsweorda sword
7Proto-Germanicswerdąsword
8Proto-Indo-Europeanswēr-heavy
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swēr- →