Etymology Explorer › Swedish

Where does “svika” come from?

svika (Swedish) comes from Old Swedish svīkia, from Old Norse svíkja, from Proto-Germanic swīkwaną, from Proto-Indo-European swem(bʰ)- — to bend, turn, swing; to be unsteady, move, swim.

svika (Swedish): to betray, to let down, to disappoint

Definitions

  1. to betray, to let down, to disappoint

Ancestry of “svika”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Swedishsvīkia—
2Old Norsesvíkjato betray, deceive, cheat
3Proto-Germanicswīkwanąto move out of the way; dodge; swerve; avoid;...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanswem(bʰ)-to bend, turn, swing; to be unsteady, move, swim
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swem(bʰ)- →