swalwe

Middle English

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old English swealwe, from Proto-West Germanic *swalwā, from Proto-Germanic *swalwǭ.

Alternative forms

swalew, swalewe, swalow, swalowe, swhalow, swolwe
sualow (Leicestershire); swalo (Lincolnshire); swalue, swaluwe, swolewe (Southern, Southwest Midland); swalugh (Yorkshire)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈswal(ə)wə/, /ˈswalɔu̯(ə)/, /ˈswaluː/
IPA^(key): /ˈswaliu̯(ə)/, /ˈswɔliu̯(ə)/, /ˈz-/ (especially Southern, South Midland)

Noun

swalwe (plural swalwes)

A swallow (bird in the genus Hirundo) or a swift.
The meat of such birds (also used in pharmaceuticals)

Descendants

English: swallow
Middle Scots: swallow, suallow
- Scots: swalla, swallae

References

“swalwe, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 10 October 2018.

Etymology 2

Verb

swalwe

(Late Middle English) alternative form of swolwen