sweal

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*swel-“to shine, warm, smoulder, burn”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*swelaną“to smoulder, burn slowly, create a burningly cold sensation”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*swelan
4. Old English · inherited fromswelan“to burn, be burnt up, inflame”
5. Middle English · inherited fromswelen
6. English todaysweal

From Middle English swelen, from Old English swelan (“to burn, be burnt up, inflame”) (compare Old English swǣlan (“to burn”)), from Proto-West Germanic *swelan, from Proto-Germanic *swelaną (“to smoulder, burn slowly, create a burningly cold sensation”), from Proto-Indo-European *swel- (“to shine, warm, smoulder, burn”). Cognate with Dutch zwelen (“to smoulder”), Low German swelen (“to smoulder”), German schwelen (“to smoulder”), Icelandic svala (“to cool”). Related to swelter.

Words from the same roots