Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sweal” come from?

sweal (English) comes from Middle English swelen, from Old English swelan, from Proto-West Germanic swelan, from Proto-Germanic swelaną, from Proto-Indo-European swel- — to smolder; burn; scorch; beam, board, frame,...

sweal (English): To burn slowly; To melt and run down, as the...

Definitions

  1. To burn slowly; To melt and run down, as the...

Ancestry of “sweal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishswelen—
2Old Englishswelanto burn, perish with heat
3Proto-West Germanicswelanto burn
4Proto-Germanicswelanąto burn
5Proto-Indo-Europeanswel-to smolder; burn; scorch; beam, board, frame,...

Words derived from “sweal”

  • swale
  • bioswale
  • swaly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swel- →