English
swot
Swot comes from Old English swāt ‘perspiration’, from Proto-Germanic *swaitą ‘sweat’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sweyd-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sweyd-‘to sweat’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*swaitą‘sweat’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150swāt‘perspiration’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500swot
- Englishearliest quotation 1991same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*sweyd-‘to sweat’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*swaitą‘sweat’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150swāt‘perspiration’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500swot
- Englishearliest quotation 1991same form
Earliest quotation: 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar: “He liked Tom all right... Sampson and Bullock he…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sweyd- ‘to sweat’
through Old English swāt ‘perspiration’
Today it means
verb To study with effort or determination.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *sweyd- / swot