Proto-Indo-European

*swé

‘self’

Every word has its own definition in its root. These English words share one: Proto-Indo-European *swé.

36 English words in this record descend from Proto-Indo-European *swé, most familiar first.

• such ← swelċ ← *swalīk ← *swalīkaz ← *swa
• self ← salve ← *selbaz ← *selbʰ-
• suicide ← suī ← *s(w)ē
• solo ← sōlus ← *swelos
• idiot ← idiote ← idiote ← idiota ← ἰδιώτης
• sole ← sol ← sōlus ← *swelos
• solitary ← solitarie ← sōlitārius ← solitas ← solus
• sans ← saunz ← sine
• solitude ← sōlitūdō ← sōlus ← *swelos
• desolate ← desolaten ← dēsōlātus ← dēsōlō ← sōlus
• desolation ← desolacioun ← desolacion ← dēsōlātiō ← dēsōlō
• solitaire ← sōlitārius ← solitas ← solus ← *swelos

More words from *swé

• swain
• idiocy
• sullen
• solus
• sere
• selfsame
• saudade
• idiota
• etaerio
• hetaera
• hetaira
• hetaerism
• hetegony
• hetaerocracy
• hetairos
• hetairoi
• idioticon
• idiorrhythmic
• idioculture
• solitudinarian
• solitudinous
• solosexuality
• suicism
• zitch

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *swé