Where does “swa” come from?
swa (Middle English) comes from Old English swē, from Old English swā, from Proto-West Germanic swā, from Proto-Germanic swa, from Proto-Germanic swē, from Proto-Indo-European swē — self (reflexive pronoun).
Ancestry of “swa”, step by step
swa traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English swē
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | swē | so, as, the same, such, that |
| 2 | Old English | swā | so |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | swā | so, thus, in this manner; like, similar to; just... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | swa | so, thus, in this manner |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | swē | like, similar to; just like, in the same manner... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | swē | self (reflexive pronoun) |
via Old English swǣ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | swǣ | — |