Swidden
/ˈswɪdən/noun
Land cleared for cultivation by cutting and burning its vegetation.
Did you know?Swidden is closely connected to Scandinavian words meaning “to burn,” and may ultimately share an ancient root with English “sweat,” linking heat, burning, and bodily exertion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sweit-
“To sweat, burn, or become hot”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*swaidijaną
“To burn or make hot”
Old Norse
Old Norse
sviða
“To scorch, burn, or clear by burning”
Medieval Scandinavian
Swedish
svedja
“To burn vegetation and clear land for cultivation”
17th Century
English
swidden
“Land cleared by burning, especially for temporary cultivation”
Modern English
English
swidden
“A plot of land prepared through slash-and-burn agriculture”