Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “swelling” come from?

Swelling comes from Middle English swellen, from Proto-Germanic swellaną, from Proto-Indo-European swel-, a root meaning to surge or expand.

swelling (English): The state of being swollen; Anything swollen,...

Definitions

  1. The state of being swollen; Anything swollen,...

Ancestry of “swelling”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishswellTo become bigger, especially due to being...
2Middle EnglishswellenTo swell; to grow or become bigger or stronger;...
3Old Englishswellanto swell
4Proto-West Germanic*swellan—
5Proto-Germanicswellanąto swell
6Proto-Indo-Europeanswel-to smolder; burn; scorch; beam, board, frame,...

Words derived from “swelling”

  • deswelling
  • nonswelling
  • heartswelling
  • swellingly
  • electroswelling
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swel- →