Schwert

German

Etymology

From Middle High German swert, from Old High German swert (attested since the 8th century); 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”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃveːɐ̯t/
• Rhymes: -eːɐ̯t
• Hyphenation: Schwert

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Schwert n (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.)
3. dorsal fin (of certain kinds of whales)

   Schwertwal — orca

4. (heraldry) sword

Synonyms

• (blade of a chainsaw): Blatt n, Klinge f
• (dorsal fin of certain whales): Rückenflosse f

Derived terms

• Breitschwert
• Langschwert
• Lichtschwert
• Samuraischwert
• Schwertergegeklirr
• Schwertfeger
• schwertförmig
• Schwertgriff
• Schwerthieb
• Schwertkampf
• Schwertkämpfer
• Schwertklinge
• Schwertleite
• Schwertlilie
• Schwertmeister
• Schwertscheide
• Schwertschlucker
• Schwertschmied
• Schwertspitze

 

Related terms

• Schwertel

Further reading

• “Schwert” in Duden online