forswallow

The story

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*fra-
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*farswelganą
3. Old English · inherited fromforswelgan
4. Middle English · inherited fromforswolewen
5. English todayforswallow

From Middle English forswolewen, forswoluwen, forswolȝen, forswalȝen, forswelȝen, from Old English forswelgan, forswilgan (“to swallow up, devour, consume, absorb”), from Proto-Germanic *farswelganą, *fraswelganą (“to devour”), from Proto-Germanic *fra- + *swelganą (“to swallow”), equivalent to for- + swallow. Cognate with Dutch verzwelgen (“to engulf, swallow up”), Middle Low German vorswelgen (“to swallow up”), Middle High German verswelgen (“to swallow up”). More at for-, swallow.

Words from the same roots