English
swither
Swither comes from Old Norse sviðra ‘to burn, singe’.
- Old Norsec. 800–1350sviðra1‘to burn, singe’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*swithren1reconstructed
- Englishtodayswither1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English swither
Lineage
- Old Norsec. 800–1350sviðraWiktionary, English swither‘to burn, singe’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500*swithrenWiktionary, English switherreconstructed
- EnglishtodayswitherWiktionary, English swither
Every English word from Old Norse sviðra
Today it means
verb To burn, scorch, singe.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “swither”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Old Norse sviðra / swither