Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “swan” come from?

swan (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic swan, from Proto-Germanic swanaz, from Proto-Indo-European swenh₂- — to sound.

swan (Old English): swineherd, lad

Definitions

  1. swineherd, lad

Ancestry of “swan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicswanswan
2Proto-Germanicswanazswan
3Proto-Indo-Europeanswenh₂-to sound

Words derived from “swan”

  • Swan
  • swan
  • Swann
  • swanlike
  • swanny
  • swannery
  • swanskin
  • swannish
  • swanmark
  • swanbill
  • swanly
  • cobswan
  • nonswan
  • swanless
  • swan
  • swon
  • suan
  • svan
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swenh₂- →