swift

See also Swift, and SWIFT

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old English swift (“swift, quick”), from Proto-Germanic *swiftaz (“swift, quick”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)weip-, *(s)weib- (“to twist, wind around”). Cognate with Icelandic svipta (“to pull quickly”), Old English swīfan (“to revolve, sweep, wend, intervene”). More at swivel.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

swift (comparative swifter, superlative swiftest)

1. fast; quick; rapid.
   • 2011 November 12, “International friendly: England 1-0 Spain”, BBC Sport:

     Spain were provoked into a response and Villa almost provided a swift equaliser when he rounded Hart but found the angle too acute and could only hit the side-netting.

2. Capable of moving at high speeds.

Translations

fast; quick

Catalan: ràpid (ca) Czech: hbitý (cs), rychlý (cs), svižný (cs) Finnish: nopea (fi), sukkela (fi), vikkelä (fi), vinha (fi) French: rapide (fr) German: schnell (de) Hungarian: gyors (hu), sebes (hu) Italian: rapido (it), veloce (it), pronto (it), agile (it), svelto (it), celere (it)

Portuguese: rápido (pt) Russian: быстрый (ru) Scottish Gaelic: siùbhlach (gd), grad (gd) Slovak: rýchly Spanish: rápido (es) Turkish: çabuk (tr) Volapük: spidik (vo), vifik (vo)

Noun

Wikipedia swift (plural swifts)

1. (obsolete) The current of a stream.
2. A small plain-colored bird (of the family Micropodidæ) that resembles a swallow and is noted for its rapid flight. Common European swift: Cypselus, ∨ Micropus, apus. The common American, or chimney, swift: Chætura pelagica. The Australian swift: Chætura caudacuta. The European Alpine swift: Cypselus melba. The common Indian swift: Cypselus affinis.
3. A western fence lizard, swift, blue-belly, Sceloporus occidentalis -- (common western lizard; seen on logs or rocks)
4. The ghost moth.

Translations

bird

Catalan: falciot (ca) m. Chechen: дургли Czech: rorýs (cs) m. Estonian: piiritaja Finnish: tervapääsky (fi) French: martinet (fr) m. German: Segler (de) m. Irish: gabhlán gaoithe (ga) m. Italian: rondone (it) m. Latvian: svīre (lv) f.

Lithuanian: čiurlys (lt) m. Navajo: tsxį́į́łnaalkʼįhii Polish: jerzyk (pl) m. Portuguese: gaivão (pt) m. Romanian: drepnea (ro) Russian: стриж (ru) (striž) m. Scottish Gaelic: gobhlan mòr (gd) m., ainleag-dhubh (gd) f. Spanish: vencejo (es) m. Swedish: tornseglare (sv) Volapük: (male or female) mönasval (vo), (offspring, young) mönasvalül (vo)

lizard

Italian: salamandra acquaiola (it), piccola (it) lucertola (it)

Derived terms

• swiftly

See also

• black martin
• black swift
• hawk swallow
• devil bird
• swingdevil
• screech martin
• shriek owl
• chimney swallow
• palm swift
• tree swift
• pine lizard

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Old English

Etymology

From the verb swīfan

Adjective

swift

1. swift

Descendants

• English: swift