swith

See also: swiþ

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English swith, from Old English swīþ (“strong, mighty, powerful, active, severe, violent”), from Proto-West Germanic *swinþ, from Proto-Germanic *swinþaz (“strong”).

Cognate with Old Saxon swīth, Middle High German swind (Modern German geschwind (“fast, quick, swift”)), Middle Low German swîde (Modern Low German swied (“very, quite”)), Dutch gezwind (“fast, quick, swift”), West Frisian swiid (“impressive, special”), Old Norse svinnr, sviðr (“quick, clever, understanding, wise”), Gothic 𐍃𐍅𐌹𐌽𐌸𐍃 (swinþs, “strong”). Possibly related to sound.

Adjective

swith (comparative swither, superlative swithest)

1. (dialectal or obsolete) Strong; vehement.

Derived terms

• swithly

Etymology 2

From Middle English swith, swithe, from Old English swīþe (“very much, exceedingly, severely, violently, fiercely”), from Proto-West Germanic *swinþā, from Proto-Germanic *swinþê (“strongly”), from Proto-Indo-European *swento- (“active, healthy”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian swied (“very”), West Frisian swiid (“very”), Dutch zwijd (“very, extremely”), Low German swied (“quite, very”), Dutch gezwind (“quick, swift”). Not related to superficially similar English swift.

Alternative forms

• swithe

Adverb

swith (comparative swither, superlative swithest)

1. (dialectal or obsolete) Quickly, speedily, promptly.
   • 1786, Robert Burns, A Dream‎^[1]:

     As ye disown yon paughty dog, / That bears the keys of Peter, / Then swith! an' get a wife to hug,

   • 1822 May 29, [Walter Scott], chapter XXXVII, in The Fortunes of Nigel. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC:

     “Body of us, man!” said the king, “it is the speech of a true man and a loving subject, and we will grace him accordingly—what though he be but a carle—a twopenny cat may look at a king. Swith, man! have him—pundite fores.

2. (dialectal or obsolete) Strongly; vehemently; very.

Anagrams

• Whits, whist, whits, wisht, withs