swerven
Middle English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Old English sweorfan, from Proto-Germanic *swerbaną; a cognate of Middle Low German swerven, Middle Dutch swerven, and Middle High German swerben.
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
swerven
- To leave (from one's view); to rotate away from.
- To move or go unsteadily, unpredictably or erratically.
- To bounce off; to avoid (hitting someone)
- To repudiate or renounce; to end association with.
- (rare, of emotion) To stop being present or affecting one.
Conjugation edit
Conjugation of swerven (weak in -ed or strong class 3)
1Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
2Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.
Related terms edit
Descendants edit
References edit
- “swerven, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-12-5.