Sweal
/swiːl/noun
To burn slowly or melt, especially as a candle does while producing liquid wax.
Did you know?In older English, “sweal” described the eerie way a candle burned down and liquefied, making it a vivid word for gradual fire-driven change.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swel-
“To burn, blaze, or glow.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*swelaną
“To burn or smolder.”
Old English
Old English
swelan
“To burn, blaze, or be consumed by fire.”
Middle English
Middle English
swelen
“To burn slowly or melt through heat.”
15th Century
English
sweal
“To burn slowly, especially of a candle; to melt or waste away.”
Modern English
English
sweal
“An archaic or dialectal verb for the slow burning or melting of a candle.”