Where does “swikan” come from?
swikan (Old Saxon) 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.
swikan (Old Saxon): to betray; to cheat
Ancestry of “swikan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | swīkwan | to dodge, to avoid; to betray |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | swīkwaną | to move out of the way; dodge; swerve; avoid;... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | swem(bʰ)- | to bend, turn, swing; to be unsteady, move, swim |