Swim
/swɪm/noun
To move through water by using the body or limbs.
Did you know?Swim comes from a deep Germanic root meaning to move or float through water, and its cousins still survive in words like “swamp” and “swan,” both tied to watery life.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*s(w)eip-
“to move, swing, or glide”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*swimaną
“to swim, float, or move in water”
Old English
OE
swimman
“to swim, float, or move through water”
Middle English
ME
swimmen
“to swim”
Modern English
English
swim
“to move through water by bodily motion”