English
sweater
Sweater comes from Middle English swētere ‘one who sweats’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *sweyd-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sweyd-‘to sweat’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*swait-‘sweat’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*swaitijaną‘to sweat’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*swaitijan‘to sweat’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150swǣtan‘to sweat’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500swēten‘to sweat’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500swētere‘one who sweats’
- Englishearliest quotation 1894sweater
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sweyd-‘to sweat’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*swait-‘sweat’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*swaitijaną‘to sweat’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*swaitijan‘to sweat’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150swǣtan‘to sweat’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500swēten‘to sweat’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500swētere‘one who sweats’
- Englishearliest quotation 1894sweater
Earliest quotation: 1894, New York, Annual Report (volumes 7-8: “If the piecework system had not existed there never…”
Formed from sweat + -er
Proto-Indo-European *sweyd- ‘to sweat’
Proto-Indo-European *swoyd- ‘to sweat’
Proto-Germanic *swait-
Old English swāt
Middle English swete ‘blood’
English sweat
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sweyd- ‘to sweat’
Today it means
noun A knitted jacket or jersey, usually of thick wool, worn by athletes before or after exercise.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sweyd- / sweater