Swelling
/ˈswɛl.ɪŋ/noun
An abnormal enlargement or a raised area caused by fluid, inflammation, or growth.
Did you know?Swelling comes from an old Germanic verb meaning “to swell, grow, or rise,” and its deep relatives also gave English the word swell itself, once used for the sea rising in powerful waves.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swel-
“to swell, grow thick, or become full”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*swelanan
“to swell or become inflated”
Old English
OE
swellan
“to swell, expand, or grow larger”
Middle English
ME
swellen
“to become swollen or puffed up”
Modern English
English
swelling
“the act or state of becoming swollen”