swymmen

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old English swimman, from Proto-West Germanic *swimman, from Proto-Germanic *swimmaną.

Forms in -e- and weak forms are possibly due to the conflation of this verb with an Old English *swemman.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈswimən/

Verb

swymmen (third-person singular simple present swymmen, present participle swymmynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative swam, past participle swummen)

  1. To swim (move in water)
  2. To float (be buoyed above the water)
  3. To be on a moving object floating on water.
  4. To move like or in liquid.

Conjugation

Conjugation of swymmen (strong class 3 or weak in -ed)
infinitive (to) swymmen, swymme
present tense past tense
1st-person singular swymme swam, swymmed
2nd-person singular swymmest swumme1, swymmedest
3rd-person singular swymmeth swam, swymmed
subjunctive singular swymme swumme2, swymmed2
imperative singular
plural3 swymmen, swymme swummen, swumme, swymmeden, swymmede
imperative plural swymmeth, swymme
participles swymmynge, swymmende swummen, swumme, swymmed

1 Later replaced by the 1st-/3rd-person singular or swamest.
2 Later replaced by the indicative.
3 Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

  • English: swim
  • Scots: sweem, soom

References