Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “swifan” come from?

swifan (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic *swīban, from Proto-Germanic swībaną, from Proto-Indo-European swey-, from Proto-Indo-European sew- — to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to...

swifan (Old English): to revolve, sweep, wend, intervene; to move,...

Definitions

  1. to revolve, sweep, wend, intervene; to move,...

Ancestry of “swifan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanic*swīban—
2Proto-Germanicswībanąto revolve; move around; sway; stray; to sweep;...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanswey-to twist, swing; to hiss; whistle; to swing,...
4Proto-Indo-Europeansew-to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to...

Words derived from “swifan”

  • swift
  • swiftness
  • swivel
  • swiftlet
  • swive
  • swiftfoot
  • swivelly
  • swiftie
  • ultraswift
  • treeswift
  • swift-handed
  • swift-handedness
  • swiven
  • swivel
  • swyftnesse
  • swiftnesse
  • swift
  • swyvel
  • swiftnes
  • swift
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sew- →