Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/swinþaz

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

Uncertain; suggested to derive from Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ- (“to overpower”), whence also *segaz (“victory”), perhaps either:

• directly inherited from Proto-Indo-European *sǵʰ-wént-s ~ *sǵʰ-unt-és, whence also variant *sundaz, from *seǵʰ- +‎ *-wénts;
• or derived from unattested noun *swin- (“strength, power”) +‎ *-þaz, from Proto-Indo-European *séǵʰ-wr̥ ~ *sǵʰ-wén-s (“overpowering; holding”), cognate with Ancient Greek σθένος (sthénos, “strength, power”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈswin.θɑz/

Adjective

*swinþaz

1. strong

Inflection

Declension of *swinþaz (a-stem)

Strong declension
Case	Masculine		Feminine		Neuter
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*swinþaz	*swinþai	*swinþō	*swinþôz	*swinþą, -atō	*swinþō
Accusative	*swinþanǭ	*swinþanz	*swinþǭ	*swinþōz	*swinþą, -atō	*swinþō
Genitive	*swinþas, -is	*swinþaizǫ̂	*swinþaizōz	*swinþaizǫ̂	*swinþas, -is	*swinþaizǫ̂
Dative	*swinþammai	*swinþaimaz	*swinþaizōi	*swinþaimaz	*swinþammai	*swinþaimaz
Instrumental	*swinþanō	*swinþaimiz	*swinþaizō	*swinþaimiz	*swinþanō	*swinþaimiz
Weak declension
Case	Masculine		Feminine		Neuter
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*swinþô	*swinþaniz	*swinþǭ	*swinþōniz	*swinþô	*swinþōnō
Accusative	*swinþanų	*swinþanunz	*swinþōnų	*swinþōnunz	*swinþô	*swinþōnō
Genitive	*swinþiniz	*swinþanǫ̂	*swinþōniz	*swinþōnǫ̂	*swinþiniz	*swinþanǫ̂
Dative	*swinþini	*swinþammaz	*swinþōni	*swinþōmaz	*swinþini	*swinþammaz
Instrumental	*swinþinē	*swinþammiz	*swinþōnē	*swinþōmiz	*swinþinē	*swinþammiz

Related terms

• *sundaz

Derived terms

• *swinþalīkaz
• *swinþį̄
• *swinþijaną

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *swinþ
  • Old English: swīþ
    • Middle English: swith
      • English: swith
      • Scots: swith
  • Old Frisian: *swīth
    • Saterland Frisian: swied
    • West Frisian: swiid
  • Old Saxon: swīth, *swinth
    • Middle Low German: swît, swîde, swinde
      • Low German: swied, swinn
      • Plautdietsch: schwind
      • → Polish: szwytki, świtki (“agile, quick, dashing”) (dialectal)
        • → Old Ruthenian: швыдкїй (švydkij) (dialectal) (see there for further descendants)
  • Old Dutch: *swīth, *swinth (in placenames)
    • Middle Dutch: swîde, swinde
      • Dutch: swiet, zwiej (dialectal)
  • Old High German: *swind (in personal names)
    • Middle High German: swinde, swint
      • ⇒ Middle High German: geswinde
        • Bavarian: gschwind
        • German: geschwind
          • → Dutch: gezwind
        • Luxembourgish: geschwënn
• Old Norse: sviðr, svinnr
  • Icelandic: svinnur
  • Faroese: svinnur
• Gothic: 𐍃𐍅𐌹𐌽𐌸𐍃 (swinþs)

Further reading

• Pokorny, Julius (1959) “su̯ento-, sunto-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 1048