swag

swag · verb, noun¹

1. Old Norse · derived from*svaga“to swerve, sway”
2. Middle English · inherited fromswagen
3. English todayswag

Inherited from Middle English swagen, a late collateral form of *swawen possibly originating from Lancashire and Yorkshire (possibly continued in Scots swaw (“wave”); parallel to e.g. drag for draw), from Old Norse *svaga (“to swerve, sway”), of unclear origin. Compare dialectal Norwegian svaga (“to sway, swing, stagger”).

swag · noun²

Clipping of swagger. A common folk etymology is that the word derives from an acronym for "she wants a gentleman", "secretly we are gay" or other phrases.

swag · noun, verb³

From 18th c. British thieves' slang, from the noun use of Etymology 1 above, "a swaying, an uneven motion." A folk etymology, particularly for the handouts definition, is “stuff we all get”.

SWAG · noun, proper noun⁴

Acronym of various terms.

SWAG · noun⁵

From swag, an English slang word, in the mistaken belief that it originated as an acronym ("stuff we all get" or similar). For the true origin of the word, see swag.

First known use, by meaning

• 18th c. Stolen goods; the booty of a burglar or thief; boodle.
• late 20th c. Branded handout, freebies, or giveaways, often distributed at conventions; merchandise.
• 18th c. A shop and its goods; any quantity of goods.
• From 1850s. To travel on foot carrying a swag (possessions tied in a blanket).