Etymograph

English

swell

Swell comes from Middle English swellen ‘to become overweight or chubby’, from Old English swellan ‘to swell’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *swellaną.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*swellaną‘to swell’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*swellanreconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150swellan‘to swell’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500swellen‘to become overweight or chubby’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1599swell

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*swellaną‘to swell’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*swellanreconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150swellan‘to swell’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500swellen‘to become overweight or chubby’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1599swell

Earliest quotation: 1599, William Shakespeare, The Life of Henry the Fift: “O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *swel- ‘to swell’

methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, phenyl, ethane, swill, 34 more

through Proto-Germanic *swellaną ‘to swell’

swollen, 1 more

through Middle English swellen ‘to become overweight or chubby’

swole

Another origin of swell

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500swelle
  2. Englishtodayswell

Today it means

verb To become larger, fuller, or rounder, or expand in size or shape, usually as a result of pressure from within.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *swellaną / swell

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