sway

sway · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*sweh₁-
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*swaigijaną
3. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*swaigijan
4. Old English · derived from*swǣġan“to bend, bow”
5. Middle English · inherited fromsweyen
6. English todaysway

From earlier swey (“to fall, swoon”), from Middle English sweyen, from Old English *swǣġan (“to bend, bow”), from Proto-West Germanic *swaigijan, from Proto-Germanic *swaigijaną, from Proto-Indo-European *sweh₁- See also Saterland Frisian swooie (“to swing, wave, wobble”); also Lithuanian svai̇̃gti (“to become giddy or dizzy”), the second element of Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌-𐬱𐬑𐬎𐬀𐬑𐬙𐬀 (paⁱri-šxuaxta, “to surround”), Sanskrit स्वजते (svájate, “he embraces, enfolds”). The noun derived from the verb.

Sway · proper noun²

1. Old English · derived fromsvieia“noisy stream”
2. English todaySway

From Old English svieia (“noisy stream”) (see swegan (“to make a noise”)), probably referring to the river Avon.

Words from the same roots