Where does “swiftlet” come from?
swiftlet (English) comes from English Swift, from Middle English swift, from Old English swift, from Old English swīfan, from Proto-West Germanic *swīban, from Proto-Germanic swībaną, from Proto-Indo-European swey-, from Proto-Indo-European sew- — to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to...
swiftlet (English): Any of the various tropical and subtropical birds...
Definitions
- Any of the various tropical and subtropical birds...
Ancestry of “swiftlet”, step by step
swiftlet traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Swift
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Swift | originally a nickname for a swift or quick person |
| 2 | Middle English | swift | — |
| 3 | Old English | swift | swift, quick |
| 4 | Old English | swīfan | to revolve, sweep, wend, intervene; to move,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *swīban | to revolve, to move around |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | swībaną | to revolve; move around; sway; stray; to sweep;... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | swey- | to twist, swing; to hiss; whistle; to swing,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sew- | to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to... |
via English let
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | let | To allow to, not to prevent; To leave; To allow... |
| 2 | Middle English | leten | to let |
| 3 | Old English | lǣtan | to let; leave; to let go, leave; to allow, let... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | lātan | to let, to allow; to leave alone |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lētaną | to let, to allow; to leave alone |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₁d- | to be tired |