Schwert

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German[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle High German swert, from Old High German swert (attested since the 8th century); from Proto-West Germanic *swerd, from Proto-Germanic *swerdą, from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to fester, to cut”).

Germanic cognates with identical meaning include Hunsrik Schweert, Low German Sweerd, Dutch zwaard, Afrikaans swaard, English sword, West Frisian swurd, Danish sværd, Norwegian sverd, Swedish svärd, Icelandic sverð, Faroese svørð.

The further etymology outside the Germanic branch is currently unknown. *swerdą, swerða- seems to be a nominal derivative with dental suffix originating from Indo-European *swer- and may, thus, be a cognate to German schwären (“to fester”).[1]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ʃveːrt/, [ʃʋeːɐ̯t], [ʃʋɛɐ̯t]
  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -eːɐ̯t
  • Hyphenation: Schwert
  • Homophone: schwärt (some speakers)

Noun[edit]

Schwert n (strong, genitive Schwertes or Schwerts, plural Schwerter)

  1. sword
    Er zückte augenblicklich sein Schwert.
    He drew his sword immediately.
    Das Katana war ein weit verbreitetes Schwert in Japan.
    The katana was a very common sword in Japan.
    Breitschwert ― broadsword
    Langschwert ― longsword
  2. blade (of a chainsaw etc.)
    Synonyms: Blatt n, Klinge f
  3. dorsal fin (of certain kinds of whales)
    Synonym: Rückenflosse f
    Schwertwal ― orca
  4. (heraldry) sword

Declension[edit]

Declension of Schwert [neuter, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein das Schwert die Schwerter
genitive eines des Schwertes, Schwerts der Schwerter
dative einem dem Schwert, Schwerte1 den Schwertern
accusative ein das Schwert die Schwerter

1Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms[edit]

Related terms[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Wolfgang Pfeifer, editor (1993), “Schwert”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen (in German), 2nd edition, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN

Further reading[edit]

  • “Schwert” in Duden online
  • “Schwert” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
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