swerven
Middle English
Etymology
From Old English sweorfan, from Proto-Germanic *swerbaną; a cognate of Middle Low German swerven, Middle Dutch swerven, and Middle High German swerben.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈswɛrvən/
- (Late ME) IPA(key): /ˈswarvən/
- Rhymes: -ɛrvən
Verb
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
Conjugation of swerven (weak in -ed or strong class 3)
| infinitive | (to) swerven, swerve | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| present tense | past tense | ||
| 1st-person singular | swerve | swerved, swarf | |
| 2nd-person singular | swervest | swervedest, sworve, swarf | |
| 3rd-person singular | swerveth | swerved, swarf | |
| subjunctive singular | swerve | swerved1, sworve1 | |
| imperative singular | — | ||
| plural2 | swerven, swerve | swerveden, swervede, sworven, sworve | |
| imperative plural | swerveth, swerve | — | |
| participles | swervynge, swervende | swerved, sworven, sworve | |
1Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
2Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.
Related terms
- *swerf, *swarf
References
- “swerven, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-12-5.
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