Where does “swart” come from?
swart (Scots) comes from Middle English swart, from Old English sweart, from Proto-West Germanic swart, from Proto-Germanic swartaz, from Proto-Indo-European swordo- — dirty, dark, black.
swart (Scots): Black or dark dyestuff; Black; swarthy
Definitions
- Black or dark dyestuff; Black; swarthy
Ancestry of “swart”, step by step
swart traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English swart
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | swart | Dark, oppressive, blackened; Black; swart; Evil,... |
| 2 | Old English | sweart | black |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | swart | black |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | swartaz | black |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | swordo- | dirty, dark, black |
via Old Norse svartr
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | svartr | black |