Where does “swerven” come from?

swerven (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch swervan, from Proto-Germanic swerbaną, from Proto-Indo-European swerbʰ- — to turn; wipe; sweep.

swerven (Middle Dutch): to rove; to stray

Definitions

  1. to rove; to stray

Ancestry of “swerven”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Dutchswervan—
2Proto-Germanicswerbanąto rub; wipe; polish; to file
3Proto-Indo-Europeanswerbʰ-to turn; wipe; sweep

Words derived from “swerven”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European swerbʰ- →