Wordwyrt

swear

/sˈweə/SWUH
/sˈwɛɹ/SWER

Meaningto promise solemnly

Common meaning: to promise solemnly

Other meanings: to curse

Journey through time

  1. Aryan root · reconstructed√SWAR‘murmur, hum, buzz, speak’No written record; from Skeat’s list of Aryan roots, no. 466, p. 746 · scan
  2. Old EnglishsweriansourceB&T
  3. Middle Englishswerensource
  4. Englishswear‘to promise solemnly’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Old English swerian ‘to promise solemnly’.

Roots

  • swerian Old English “to promise solemnly”

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