swim

swim · verb, noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*swem(bʰ)-“to be unsteady, move, swim”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*swimmaną“to swim”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*swimman
4. Old English · inherited fromswimman“to swim, float”
5. Middle English · inherited fromswymmen
6. English todayswim

From Middle English swymmen, from Old English swimman (“to swim, float”) (class III strong verb; past tense swamm, past participle geswummen), from Proto-West Germanic *swimman, from Proto-Germanic *swimmaną (“to swim”), from Proto-Indo-European *swem(bʰ)- (“to be unsteady, move, swim”). Cognates Cognate with North Frisian sweem, swome, swume, swumi, swumme, swääm (“to swim”), Saterland Frisian and West Frisian swimme (“to swim”), Dutch zwemmen (“to swim”), German schwimmen (“to swim”), Limburgish schwämme, zwömme (“to swim”), Low German swimmen (“to swim”), Luxembourgish schwammen (“to swim”), Vilamovian švymma, śwyma, śwymma (“to swim”), Yiddish שווימען (shvimen, “to swim”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål svømme (“to swim”), Faroese svimja (“to swim”), Norn suma (“to swim”), Norwegian Nynorsk svemja, svemje, svømma, svømme, symja, symje (“to swim”), Swedish simma (“to swim”).

swim · noun, verb²

1. Old English · inherited fromswīma“a swoon, swimming in the head”
2. Middle English · inherited fromswime
3. English todayswim

From Middle English swime, sweme, swaime (“a dizziness, swoon, trance”), from Old English swīma (“a swoon, swimming in the head”). Cognate with Swedish svimma (“to swoon, faint”) and Danish svime (“to swoon, faint”) / Danish besvime (“to swoon, faint”).

swim · noun³

Abbreviation of someone who isn't me.