Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “ġeswearf” come from?

ġeswearf (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic swarbą, from Proto-Germanic swerbaną, from Proto-Indo-European swerbʰ- — to turn; wipe; sweep.

Ancestry of “ġeswearf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicswarbąthat which is rubbed off; shavings
2Proto-Germanicswerbanąto rub; wipe; polish; to file
3Proto-Indo-Europeanswerbʰ-to turn; wipe; sweep

Words derived from “ġeswearf”

  • swarf
  • wheelswarf
  • swarf
  • swerf
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swerbʰ- →