swimman

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *swimman, whence also Old Frisian swimma, Old Saxon swimman, Old Dutch *swimman, Old High German swimman, Old Norse svimma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈswim.mɑn/

Verb

swimman

1. to swim
   • 10th century, The Wanderer:

     þonne māga ġemynd · mōd ġeondhweorfeð,
     grēteð glīwstafum, · ġeorne ġeondsċēawað
     seċġa ġeseldan. · Swimmað oft on weġ.

     when mind goes through memory of kinsmen,
     greets with mirths, eagerly looks through
     comrades of men. They often swim away.

   • Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church

     Đā ġesēah hē swymman sċealfran on flōde, and ġelōme doppettan ādūne tō grunde, ēhtende ðēarle þǣre ēa fixa.

     Then he saw loons swim in the water, and often dive down toward the bottom, keenly chasing the fish of the river.

Conjugation

Conjugation of swimman (strong, class III)

infinitive	swimman	swimmenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	swimme	swamm
second person singular	swimst	swumme
third person singular	swimþ	swamm
plural	swimmaþ	swummon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	swimme	swumme
plural	swimmen	swummen
imperative
singular	swimm
plural	swimmaþ
participle	present	past
	swimmende	(ġe)swummen

Descendants

• Middle English: swymmen, suymmyne, sweme, swemmen, swimmen, swyme, swymme, squim (Northern)
  • English: swim
  • Scots: sweem, soom

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *swimman.

Cognates

Compare Old Dutch *swimman, Old English swimman, Old Frisian swimma, Old High German swimman, Old Norse svimma.

Verb

swimman

1. to swim

Conjugation

Conjugation of swimman (strong class 3)

infinitive	swimman
indicative	present	past
1st person singular	swimmu	swam
2nd person singular	swimmis	swummi
3rd person singular	swimmid	swam
plural	swimmad	swummun
subjunctive	present	past
1st person singular	swimme	swummi
2nd person singular	swimmes	swummis
3rd person singular	swimme	swummi
plural	swimmen	swummin
imperative	present
singular	swim
plural	swimmad
participle	present	past
	swimmandi	giswumman, swumman

Descendants

• Low German: swimmen, swemmen