Swan - Etymology, Origin & Meaning (original) (raw)
Origin and history of swan
large, web-footed swimming bird, stately and graceful in the water, noted for its long neck and white down; Old English swan "swan," from Proto-Germanic *swanaz "singer" (source also of Old Saxon swan, Old Norse svanr, Danish svane, Swedish svan, Middle Dutch swane, Dutch zwaan, Old High German swan, German Schwan), probably etymologically "the singing bird" (from PIE root *swen- "to make sound"). If so, it is related to Old English geswin "melody, song" and swinsian "to make melody."
In classical mythology the bird was sacred to Apollo and to Venus. The ancient Indo-European supernatural swan-maiden was so called by mythographers from 1829 (from German). Swan dive is recorded from 1898. Swanherd "one who tends swans" is late 15c. Swannage (late 14c.) was a payment for the right to keep swans.
Entries linking to swan
c. 1600, "the down or under-plumage of a swan," used as trimming for garments, etc., later for powder-puffs, from genitive of swan (n.) + down (n.1). Extended 19c. to fine, soft, think cloths.
in reference to parts or objects resembling the curved neck of a swan, by 1680s, from swan (n.) + neck (n.).
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[c. 1300, straien, of animals, "wander away from an enclosure or herd," also figurative, of persons, "wander from the path of justice or rectitude," a shortening of Old French estraier "wander about, roam, drift, run loose," said of animals, especially a horse without a master, al](/word/stray "c. 1300, straien, of animals, "wander away from an enclosure or herd," also figurative, of persons, "wander from the path of justice or rectitude," a shortening of Old French estraier "wander about, roam, drift, run loose," said of animals, especially a horse without a master, al")
["a young swan," c. 1400, also signet before 17c., from Anglo-French cignet (mid-14c.), Anglo-Latin cygnettus, diminutives...of Old French cigne, cisne "swan" (12c., Modern French cygne), from Latin cygnus, from Greek kyknos, which has been the...](/word/cygnet ""a young swan," c. 1400, also signet before 17c., from Anglo-French cignet (mid-14c.), Anglo-Latin cygnettus, diminutives...of Old French cigne, cisne "swan" (12c., Modern French cygne), from Latin cygnus, from Greek kyknos, which has been the...")
[c. 1400, "avowal, pledge, solemn declaration," from Old French protest, from protester, from Latin protestari "declare publicly, testify, protest," from pro- "forth, before" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "in front of, before") + testari "testify," from testis "witness](/word/protest "c. 1400, "avowal, pledge, solemn declaration," from Old French protest, from protester, from Latin protestari "declare publicly, testify, protest," from pro- "forth, before" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "in front of, before") + testari "testify," from testis "witness")
[c. 1200, renge, "row or line of persons" (especially hunters or soldiers), from Old French reng, renge "a row, line, rank," from Frankish *hring or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *hringaz "circle, ring, something curved" (from nasalized form of PIE root *sker- (2](/word/range "c. 1200, renge, "row or line of persons" (especially hunters or soldiers), from Old French reng, renge "a row, line, rank," from Frankish *hring or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *hringaz "circle, ring, something curved" (from nasalized form of PIE root *sker- (2")
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