Etymograph

English

sweal

Sweal comes from Middle English swelen ‘to burn’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *swel-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*swel-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*swelaną‘to burn’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*swelan‘to burn’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150swelan‘to burn, be burnt up, inflame’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500swelen‘to burn’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1816sweal

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*swel-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*swelaną‘to burn’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*swelan‘to burn’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150swelan‘to burn, be burnt up, inflame’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500swelen‘to burn’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1816sweal

Earliest quotation: 1816, Jedadiah Cleishbotham pseudonym; Walter : “[M]ind ye dinna let the candle sweal as ye…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *swel-

swollen, methyl, swell, ethyl, isopropyl, phenyl, ethane, swole, swill, 33 more

Today it means

verb To burn slowly.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *swel- / sweal

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