swa

See also: swą

Antillean Creole

Etymology

From French soie.

Noun

swa

1. silk

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Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Papiamentu swa, from Dutch zwager.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sʋaː/
• Hyphenation: swa
• Rhymes: -aː

Noun

swa m (plural swa's, diminutive swaatje n)

1. (slang, Netherlands, Antilles) mate, bud, friend

   Ey swa, alles goed? ― Oi mate, how you doing?

   Synonyms: gabber, maat, makker, mattie, vriend

Anagrams

• was

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Gothic

Romanization

swa

1. Romanization of 𐍃𐍅𐌰

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Haitian Creole

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] French soir (“evening”)

Noun

swa

1. evening

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Old English

Alternative forms

• sƿa — wynn spelling

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē (“so”), from Proto-Indo-European *swē, *swō and *se. Cognate with Old Frisian sa (West Frisian sa), Old Saxon sō (Low German so), Old Dutch sō (Dutch zo), Old High German sō (German so), Old Norse svá (Icelandic svo, Danish så, Swedish så, Norwegian so, så), Gothic 𐍃𐍅𐌰 (swa), Latin si (from an earlier form suad), Oscan 𐌔𐌅𐌀𐌝 (svaí), Umbrian sve, Ancient Greek ὡς (hōs) (earlier ϝος (wos)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /swɑː/

Pronoun

swā

1. that, of that

   æt menn fīftīene penningas and æt horse healf swā.

   15 pennies for a man, and half that for a horse.

Adverb

swā

1. so, thus, in this way, in that way

   Weorp þone beall swā.

   Throw the ball like this.

   Hū meaht þū swā libban?

   How can you live that way?

   Nis hit nā swā.

   It is not so.

2. to the extent stated; to a great extent, so, very

   Man meahte swā wīde ġesēon. ― You could see so far.

   Þes sang nis swā gōd. ― This song isn't that good.

   Þū eart swā gōd hund! ― You're such a good dog!

   • Genesis B

     Þis ofet is swā swēte.

     This fruit is so sweet.

3. doubled (with an interrogative pronoun) to mean 'whatever', 'whoever', etc

   swā hwæt swā ― whatever

   swā hwā swā ― whoever

   swā hwǣr swā ― wherever

   swā hwider swā ― to wherever

   swā hwanon swā ― from wherever

   swā hwelċ swā ― whichever, whatever kind of

   swā hwænne swā ― whenever

4. doubled as a correlative: the...the..

   swā norðor swā smælre.

   The further north, the narrower the land.

   • the Old English Distichs of Cato

     Swā man māre spricþ, swā him lǣs manna ġelīefþ.

     The more you say, the fewer people believe you.

5. doubled as a comparative: as...as..

   swā hwīt swā snāw.

   As white as snow.

6. used once as a comparative
   • c. 900, the Old English Boethius

     Wēnaþ þā dysiġan þæt ǣlċ mann sīe blind swā hīe sind, and þæt nān mann ne mæġe ġesēon þæt hīe gesēon ne magon.

     Fools think everyone is as blind as they are, and that no one can see what they cannot.

Conjunction

swā

1. like, as, the way (often doubled as "swā swā")

   Swā ġē witon, iċ āwēox on Wintanċeastre.

   As you know, I grew up in Winchester.

   swā swā iċ ǣr sæġde

   as I said before

   Iċ bēo simle swā iċ eom.

   I'll always be the way I am.

   • Exeter Book, Riddle 24

     Hwīlum iċ grǣde swā gōs.

     Sometimes I cry like a goose.

   • Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, year 473

     Þā Wēalas flugon þā Englan swā swā fȳr.

     The Welsh fled the English like fire.

2. (temporal) when, while, as
3. so, with the result that
4. on condition that

Descendants

• Middle English: swo, so
  • English: so

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Papiamentu

Alternative forms

• sua (alternative spelling)

Etymology

From Dutch zwager (“brother-in-law”).

Noun

swa

1. friend, pal, comrade
2. brother-in-law

Descendants

• → Dutch: swa

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Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sfa/

Pronoun

swa

1. Alternative form of swoja.

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Sranan Tongo

Etymology

Compare Saramaccan suwá and Aukan suwa. Likely from English sour.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /swa/

Adjective

swa

1. sour

Noun

swa

1. acid

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Tswana

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *-kúa.

Verb

swa

1. to die