Where does “swipe” come from?

Swipe comes from Middle English swippen, from Old English swipian, from Proto-Germanic swipōną, from Proto-Indo-European sweyb-.

swipe (English): To grab or bat quickly; To strike with a strong...

Definitions

  1. To grab or bat quickly; To strike with a strong...

Ancestry of “swipe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishswipA generic sound for movement, or for something appearing
2Middle Englishswippento strike, move swiftly, glide
3Old Englishswipianto scourge, strike, beat, lash
4Proto-Germanicswipōnąto move
5Proto-Indo-Europeansweyb-to bend, turn, swerve, sway, swing, sweep; to...

Words derived from “swipe”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European sweyb- →Every word from Proto-Germanic swipōną →Every word from Old English swipian →