Wiktionary

swien

See also: Swien

Middle English edit

Etymology edit

From Old English swigian.

Verb edit

swīen

  1. to be silent, to refrain from speaking or making sound

Usage notes edit

  • Not to be confused with sweien (“make a sound”), with which it was homophonous by the 13th century.[1]

Alternative forms edit

References edit

  1. ^ Edna Rees Williams, The Conflict of Homonyms in English (1944), page 100
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