Where does “swenken” come from?
swenken (Middle High German) comes from Old High German swenkēn, from Proto-West Germanic *swankijan, from Proto-Germanic swankijaną, from Proto-Germanic swinkaną, from Proto-Indo-European sweng-.
Ancestry of “swenken”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | swenkēn | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *swankijan | to cause to swing, to waver |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | swankijaną | to cause to sway, swing |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | swinkaną | to swing, bend |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sweng- | — |