Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “swal” come from?

swal (Middle English) comes from Middle English swellen, from Old English swellan, from Proto-West Germanic *swellan, from Proto-Germanic swellaną, from Proto-Indo-European swel- — to smolder; burn; scorch; beam, board, frame,...

Ancestry of “swal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishswellenTo swell; to grow or become bigger or stronger;...
2Old Englishswellanto swell
3Proto-West Germanic*swellan—
4Proto-Germanicswellanąto swell
5Proto-Indo-Europeanswel-to smolder; burn; scorch; beam, board, frame,...

Words derived from “swal”

  • swole
  • swoll
  • swoleness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swel- →