Swathe
/sweɪð/noun
A strip of cloth used for wrapping or binding; as a verb, to wrap or bind tightly.
Did you know?Swathe is historically tied to Old English swæð, meaning a band or strip, and it survives in the eerie image of something being wrapped so completely it’s almost ritually sealed.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swedh-
“to bind, tie, or fasten”
Old English
OE
swæð
“a band, strip, or swath”
Middle English
ME
swathe
“a band or strip of cloth; to wrap with bands”
16th Century
English
swathe
“to bind or wrap closely in cloth”
Modern English
English
swathe
“to wrap, bind, or cover with or as if with a band or covering”