Etymology Explorer › Middle Low German

Where does “swēven” come from?

swēven (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon swivian, from Proto-Germanic swibāną, from Proto-Indo-European ksweybʰ- — to move swiftly, make a swift movement; to swing,...

Ancestry of “swēven”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Saxonswivian—
2Proto-GermanicswibānąTo move; sway
3Proto-Indo-Europeanksweybʰ-to move swiftly, make a swift movement; to swing,...

Words derived from “swēven”

  • sväva
  • svæva
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ksweybʰ- →