Etymograph

English

swivel

Swivel comes from Old English swīfan ‘to revolve’, from Proto-Germanic *swībaną ‘to move’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ksweybʰ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ksweybʰ-‘to move swiftly, swing, whip’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kswéybʰ-e-tireconstructedthematic root present of *ksweybʰ-
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*swībaną‘to move’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150swīfan‘to revolve’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500swyvel
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1796swivel

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ksweybʰ-‘to move swiftly, swing, whip’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*kswéybʰ-e-tireconstructedthematic root present of *ksweybʰ-
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*swībaną‘to move’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150swīfan‘to revolve’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500swyvel
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1796swivel

Earliest quotation: 1796, John Stedman, London: J. Johnson: “[The settlement] was entirely surrounded by a broad unfordable…”

Formed from swive + -el

Proto-Indo-European *ksweybʰ- ‘to move swiftly, swing, whip’

Proto-Indo-European *kswéybʰ-e-ti

Proto-Germanic *swībaną ‘to wipe, sweep’

Old English swīfan ‘to move, sweep, wend, revolve’

Middle English swiven

English swive

Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *ksweybʰ-

Today it means

noun A piece, such as a ring or hook, attached to another piece by a pin, in such a manner as to permit rotation about the pin as an axis.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ksweybʰ- / swivel

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