Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “swelt” come from?

swelt (English) comes from Middle English swelten, from Old English sweltan, from Proto-West Germanic *sweltan, from Proto-Germanic sweltaną, from Proto-Indo-European swel- — to smolder; burn; scorch; beam, board, frame,...

swelt (English): To die; To succumb or be overcome with emotion,...

Definitions

  1. To die; To succumb or be overcome with emotion,...

Ancestry of “swelt”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsweltento die; faint
2Old Englishsweltanto die
3Proto-West Germanic*sweltan—
4Proto-Germanicsweltanąto die; succumb
5Proto-Indo-Europeanswel-to smolder; burn; scorch; beam, board, frame,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swel- →