Where does “swearing” come from?

Swearing derives from Middle English sweren plus the suffix -ing (from Old English -ing), with sweren coming from Middle French sur, ultimately from Latin securus meaning "free from care or anxiety."

swearing (English): present participle of swear; The act of swearing,...

Definitions

  1. present participle of swear; The act of swearing,...

Ancestry of “swearing”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishsweryngeThe taking or reception of an oath
2Middle EnglishswerenTo swear to do something; to make a oral binding...
3Old Englishswerianto swear (an oath or a promise)
4Proto-West Germanicswarjanto swear
5Proto-Germanicswarjanąto swear
6Proto-Indo-Europeanswēr-heavy

Words derived from “swearing”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European swēr- →Every word from Proto-Germanic swarjaną →Every word from Proto-West Germanic swarjan →