sway
English
/sweɪ/
noun
Definitions
- The act of swaying; a swaying motion; a swing or sweep of a weapon.
- A rocking or swinging motion.
- Influence, weight, or authority that inclines to one side
- Preponderance; turn or cast of balance.
- Rule; dominion; control; power.
- A switch or rod used by thatchers to bind their work.
- The maximum amplitude of a vehicle's lateral motion.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English sweyen derived from Old Norse sveigja (bend, bow) derived from Proto-Germanic *swaigijaną derived from Proto-Indo-European *sweh₁-.
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*sweh₁-
Gloss
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- antisway English
- asway English
- back English
- countersway English
- oversway English
- swayable English
- swayback English
- swaybacked English
- swayer English
- swayest English
- swayeth English
- swayful English
- swayless English
- sweight English
- unswayable English
- upsway English
- openzwaaien Dutch, Flemish
- uitzwaaien Dutch, Flemish
- zwaaien Dutch, Flemish
- zwaailicht Dutch, Flemish
- *sweh₁- Proto-Indo-European
- *swaigijaną Proto-Germanic
- svaie Norwegian Nynorsk
- sweyen Middle English
- sweyght Middle English
- sveigja Old Norse
- sveigja Icelandic
- swāien, swaien Middle Low German