Where does “swear” come from?

Swear comes from Middle English swere, from Middle English sure, from Middle French sur, from Latin securus meaning "free from care," ultimately from Latin ex- and caput meaning "head."

swear (English): To take an oath, to promise; To use offensive,...

Definitions

  1. To take an oath, to promise; To use offensive,...

Ancestry of “swear”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishswareAlternative form of square; A response to a query...
2Old Englishswaruan oath, vow
3Proto-Germanicswarōa solemn statement or affirmation; oath; vow
4Proto-Indo-Europeanswer-to ache; to fester; wound; injury

Words derived from “swear”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European swer- →