Etymology Explorer › Old Saxon

Where does “swan” come from?

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

Ancestry of “swan”, step by step

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

Words derived from “swan”

  • svaneham
  • sangsvane
  • svane
  • swāne
  • swan
  • swane
  • Swaan
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swenh₂- →