swær

Middle English

Adjective

swær

1. (Early Middle English) Alternative form of swere

Old English

Alternative forms

• swār

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *swār, from Proto-Germanic *swēraz.

Cognate with Old Frisian swere (West Frisian swier), Old Saxon swār, Middle Dutch swaer (Dutch zwaar), Old High German swāri (German schwer), Old Norse svárr (Swedish svår). The noun appears to derive from the adjective.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /swæːr/

Adjective

swǣr

1. heavy
2. oppressive, grievous
3. sad
4. (said of physical or mental activities) lazy, indolent, slow

Declension

Declension of swǣr — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	swǣr	swǣr	swǣr
Accusative	swǣrne	swǣre	swǣr
Genitive	swǣres	swǣrre	swǣres
Dative	swǣrum	swǣrre	swǣrum
Instrumental	swǣre	swǣrre	swǣre
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	swǣre	swǣra, swǣre	swǣr
Accusative	swǣre	swǣra, swǣre	swǣr
Genitive	swǣrra	swǣrra	swǣrra
Dative	swǣrum	swǣrum	swǣrum
Instrumental	swǣrum	swǣrum	swǣrum

Declension of swǣr — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	swǣra	swǣre	swǣre
Accusative	swǣran	swǣran	swǣre
Genitive	swǣran	swǣran	swǣran
Dative	swǣran	swǣran	swǣran
Instrumental	swǣran	swǣran	swǣran
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	swǣran	swǣran	swǣran
Accusative	swǣran	swǣran	swǣran
Genitive	swǣrra, swǣrena	swǣrra, swǣrena	swǣrra, swǣrena
Dative	swǣrum	swǣrum	swǣrum
Instrumental	swǣrum	swǣrum	swǣrum

Derived terms

• *swārcian

Related terms

• āswārcian
• *swārcmōd
• swārcmōdnes

Descendants

• Middle English: swere, swær, swar, sware, swer, suere
  • English: sweer, swear, sweir, swere
  • Scots: sweir, sweer, swere

Noun

swǣr n

1. a burden, labour, trouble, grief

References

• (adjective) Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “swǽr”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary‎^[1], 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• (adjective) Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “swǽr”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary‎^[2], 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• (noun) Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “swǽr”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary‎^[3], 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.