swim
/swɪm/
verb
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*swem- — to move, shake, or vibrate
Overview
Meaning Now
- To propel oneself in water using limbs or fins.
- To move with a smooth, gliding, or floating motion.
- To be covered or flooded with a liquid.
Literal older meaning
to vibrate, sway, or move through a medium
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
swimman
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The verb is a classic example of a Germanic strong verb (Class III), showing the ablaut pattern swim-swam-swum, which has remained consistent since Old English.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
swimmaną
“to move, to swim”
- Old English
swimman
“to swim, float, or be immersed”
- Middle English
swimmen
“to swim or float”
- Modern English
swim
“to propel through water”
Connections
Word parts
swim
root
to move in a liquid
Related across languages
German
schwimmen
to swim
Dutch
zwemmen
to swim
Old Norse
svimma
to swim
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Related to swim
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.