Etymology Explorer › Middle High German

Where does “sweifen” come from?

sweifen (Middle High German) comes from Old High German sweifan, from Proto-West Germanic swaipan, from Proto-Germanic swaipaną, from Proto-Indo-European kswoybʰ-e-ti, from Proto-Indo-European ksweybʰ- — to move swiftly, make a swift movement; to swing,...

Ancestry of “sweifen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germansweifanto wind
2Proto-West Germanicswaipanto sweep
3Proto-Germanicswaipanąto sweep; to sway, swing; to cast, fling
4Proto-Indo-Europeankswoybʰ-e-ti —
5Proto-Indo-Europeanksweybʰ-to move swiftly, make a swift movement; to swing,...

Words derived from “sweifen”

  • Abschweifung
  • abschweifen
  • ausschweifend
  • ausschweifen
  • geschweift
  • abschweifend
  • schweifen
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ksweybʰ- →