swallow

swallow · verb, noun¹

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*swelgaz
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*swelg
3. Old English · inherited fromswelh
4. Middle English · inherited fromswolow
5. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*swelk-“to gulp”
6. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*swelganą“to swallow, revel, devour”
7. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*swelgan
8. Old English · inherited fromswelgan
9. Middle English · inherited fromswolwen
10. English todayswallow

From Middle English swolwen, from Old English swelgan, from Proto-West Germanic *swelgan, from Proto-Germanic *swelganą (“to swallow, revel, devour”), from Proto-Indo-European *swelk- (“to gulp”). Cognate with Dutch zwelgen (“to revel, carouse, guzzle”), German schwelgen (“to delight, indulge”), Danish svælge (“to swallow”), Norwegian Bokmål svelge (“to swallow”), Norwegian Nynorsk svelgje (“to swallow”), Swedish svälja (“to swallow, gulp”), Faroese svølgja (“to swallow”), Icelandic svelgja (“to swallow”), Old English swillan, swilian (“to swill, wash out, gargle”). See also swill. The noun is from Middle English swolow, swolwe, from Old English swelh, swelg (“gulf, chasm”) and ġeswelge (“gulf, chasm, abyss, whirlpool”), both from Proto-West Germanic *swelg, *swalgi, from Proto-Germanic *swelgaz, *swalgiz. Cognate with Old English swiliġe (“pit”), Scots swelch, swellie, swallie (“an abyss in the sea, whirlpool”), Middle Low German swelch (“whirlpool, eddy”), Dutch zwelg (“gorge, chasm, gullet, throat”), Old Norse svelgr (“whirlpool, current, stream”).

swallow · noun²

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*swalwǭ
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*swalwā
3. Old English · inherited fromswealwe
4. Middle English · inherited fromswalwe
5. English todayswallow

From Middle English swalwe, swalewe, swalowe, from Old English swealwe, from Proto-West Germanic *swalwā, from Proto-Germanic *swalwǭ. Cognate with Norwegian and Danish svale, Dutch zwaluw, German Schwalbe, Swedish svala.

Swallow · proper noun³

* As an English surname, from the noun swallow (sense 2). * Also as an English surname, from Swallow in Lincolnshire, named after its river. The placename itself could be related to the verb swell, or related to the name of the river Swale.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 11th c. To cause (food, drink etc.) to pass from the mouth into the stomach; to take into the stomach through the throat.
• from 13th c. To take (something) in so that it disappears; to consume, absorb.
• from 18th c. To take food down into the stomach; or to make muscular contractions of the oesophagus from nervousness or strong emotion.
• from 16th c. To accept easily, gullibly, or without questions; to be deceived by; to believe, accept.