Meanings
swain1
plural swains · alternative obsolete swaine · alternative obsolete swein
- archaicA country labourer; a countryman, a rustic.
theſe that ſeeme but ſilly country Swaines, May haue the leading of so great an hoſte, As with their waight ſhal make the mountains quake.
c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii1 more example
—No tint of words can spot thy snowy mantle, or chymic power turn thy sceptre into iron:—with thee to smile upon him as he eats his crust, the swain is happier than his monarch, from whose court thou art exiled!
1768, Mr. Yorick [pseudonym; Laurence Sterne], A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy, volume I, London: […] T. Becket and P. A. De Hondt, […], →OCLC - poeticA rural lover; a male sweetheart in a pastoral setting.
You're the belle of the ball, and these are all your swains, hoping for a glimpse of ankle.
2016 Zack Woods (as Donald "Jared" Dunn), "Founder Friendly", Silicon Valley episode 192 more examples
Why thus from the Plain does my Shepherdess rove Forsaking Her Swain and neglecting his love?
a. 1722, Matthew Prior, “Chanson Francoise. Translated”, in H. Bunker Wright, Monroe K. Spears, editors, The Literary Works of Matthew Prior, Second edition, volume I, Oxford: Clarendon Press, published 1971, page 687“Oh, dear Miss Dobson, will you but accept my hand, all these things shall be yours—the cards, the canister, the goldfish, the demon egg-cup—all yours!” Zuleika, with ravishing coyness, answered that if he would give her them now, she would “think it over.” The swain consented, and at bed-time she retired with the gift under her arm.
1911, Max Beerbohm, chapter II, in Zuleika Dobson
Swain2
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*swé“oneself; separate; apart”
- Proto-Germanic*swainaz“relative, young man, servant”
- Old Norsesveinn
- Old Englishsweġen
- Middle Englishswayn
- Englishswain
From Middle English swayn, swain, sweyn, swein, from Old English sweġen (attested also as personal name Swein, Sweġen), from Old Norse sveinn, from Proto-Germanic *swainaz (“relative, young man, servant”), from Proto-Indo-European *swé (“oneself; separate; apart”), thus properly one's own. Cognate with Danish svend (“hireling, young man”), Norwegian svein (“lad, young man, servant”) Icelandic sveinn (“boy, lad, servant”), Swedish sven (“swain, servant”), Low German Sween, dialectal German Schwein, Old English swān (“swineherd, lad”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Old Norse
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian момък
- момък (momăk)young man or boy, young shepherd, young attendant
Czech panoš, nápadník
- panošyoung man or boy, young shepherd, young attendant
- nápadníksweetheart
Polish giermek, wiejski kochanek
- giermekyoung man or boy, young shepherd, young attendant
- wiejski kochaneksweetheart
Slovak panoš
- panošyoung man or boy, young shepherd, young attendant
Spanish zagal
- zagalyoung man or boy, young shepherd, young attendant
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with swain
Anagrams
Cite this entry
swain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swain
“swain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swain. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “swain,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/swain.
Source: swain on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.