Where does “swīcan” come from?

swīcan (Old Dutch) comes from Proto-West Germanic swīkwan, from Proto-Germanic swīkwaną, from Proto-Indo-European swem(bʰ)- — to bend, turn, swing; to be unsteady, move, swim.

swīcan (Old Dutch): to give way

Definitions

  1. to give way

Ancestry of “swīcan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicswīkwanto dodge, to avoid; to betray
2Proto-Germanicswīkwanąto move out of the way; dodge; swerve; avoid;...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanswem(bʰ)-to bend, turn, swing; to be unsteady, move, swim

Words derived from “swīcan”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European swem(bʰ)- →Every word from Proto-Germanic swīkwaną →Every word from Proto-West Germanic swīkwan →
swīcan — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer