Schwarm
German
editEtymology
editFrom Old High German swarm, from Proto-Germanic *swarmaz, from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to buzz, hum”). Compare Dutch zwerm, English swarm, Danish sværm. The sense “crush” is a backformation from the verb schwärmen; see there.
Pronunciation
editNoun
editSchwarm m (strong, genitive Schwarmes or Schwarms, plural Schwärme)
- swarm of insects; flock of birds; school of fish
- 1921, Elisabeth von Heyking, Die Trommel, in Weberin Schuld, G. Grote'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 8:
- Dazu zirpten unzählige Zikaden, schillernde Libellen schossen surrend durch die Luft, […], Mücken summten in Schwärmen, […]
- In addition countless cicadas chirped, iridescent dragonflies shot buzzingly through the air, […], mosquitoes hummed in swarms, […]
- 1921, Elisabeth von Heyking, Die Trommel, in Weberin Schuld, G. Grote'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 8:
- crush; beloved; object of one’s (unfulfilled) love
Declension
editDeclension of Schwarm [masculine, strong]
Hyponyms
editswarm, shoal
crush
Derived terms
editRelated terms
editFurther reading
edit- “Schwarm” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “Schwarm” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
- “Schwarm” in Duden online
Categories:
- German terms inherited from Old High German
- German terms derived from Old High German
- German terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- German terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- German terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- German 1-syllable words
- German terms with IPA pronunciation
- German terms with audio links
- German lemmas
- German nouns
- German masculine nouns
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