Where does “swiken” come from?
swiken (Middle English) comes from Old English swīcan, from Proto-West Germanic swīkwan, from Proto-Germanic swīkwaną, from Proto-Indo-European swem(bʰ)- — to bend, turn, swing; to be unsteady, move, swim.
swiken (Middle English): to deceive
Ancestry of “swiken”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | swīcan | to wander, depart, cease from, yield, give way,... |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | swīkwan | to dodge, to avoid; to betray |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | swīkwaną | to move out of the way; dodge; swerve; avoid;... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | swem(bʰ)- | to bend, turn, swing; to be unsteady, move, swim |