"swa" meaning in Old English

See swa in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adverb

IPA: /swɑː/ Forms: swā [canonical]
Etymology: From Proto-West Germanic *swā. See there for more. Etymology templates: {{inh|ang|gmw-pro|*swā}} Proto-West Germanic *swā Head templates: {{ang-adv|swā}} swā
  1. in that way, like that
    Sense id: en-swa-ang-adv-oDW5v1li Categories (other): Old English entries with incorrect language header, Old English pronouns Disambiguation of Old English entries with incorrect language header: 16 3 19 7 7 4 17 3 2 21 0 Disambiguation of Old English pronouns: 14 2 22 7 7 6 13 6 2 19 0
  2. to the extent stated; to a great extent, so, very
    Sense id: en-swa-ang-adv-jmFsXuXJ
  3. doubled (with an interrogative pronoun) to mean 'whatever', 'whoever', etc
    Sense id: en-swa-ang-adv-9SVTTr3W Categories (other): Old English entries with incorrect language header, Old English pronouns Disambiguation of Old English entries with incorrect language header: 16 3 19 7 7 4 17 3 2 21 0 Disambiguation of Old English pronouns: 14 2 22 7 7 6 13 6 2 19 0
  4. doubled as a correlative: the..., the..
    Sense id: en-swa-ang-adv-FpeKBfQL
  5. doubled as a comparative: as...as..
    Sense id: en-swa-ang-adv-4H~FfB7G
  6. used once as a comparative
    Sense id: en-swa-ang-adv-K3Zi2qA8
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: swæ — Northumbrian

Conjunction

IPA: /swɑː/ Forms: swā [canonical]
Etymology: From Proto-West Germanic *swā. See there for more. Etymology templates: {{inh|ang|gmw-pro|*swā}} Proto-West Germanic *swā Head templates: {{head|ang|conjunction|head=swā}} swā
  1. like, as, the way (often doubled as "swā swā")
    Sense id: en-swa-ang-conj-mBEbL0~Y Categories (other): Old English entries with incorrect language header, Old English pronouns Disambiguation of Old English entries with incorrect language header: 16 3 19 7 7 4 17 3 2 21 0 Disambiguation of Old English pronouns: 14 2 22 7 7 6 13 6 2 19 0
  2. (temporal) when, while, as Tags: temporal
    Sense id: en-swa-ang-conj-TD8rtglI
  3. so, with the result that
    Sense id: en-swa-ang-conj-TbRpEujz
  4. on condition that
    Sense id: en-swa-ang-conj-VlgBRI~V Categories (other): Old English entries with incorrect language header, Old English pronouns Disambiguation of Old English entries with incorrect language header: 16 3 19 7 7 4 17 3 2 21 0 Disambiguation of Old English pronouns: 14 2 22 7 7 6 13 6 2 19 0
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: swæ — Northumbrian Derived forms: swā þēah, swā swā

Pronoun

IPA: /swɑː/ Forms: swā [canonical]
Etymology: From Proto-West Germanic *swā. See there for more. Etymology templates: {{inh|ang|gmw-pro|*swā}} Proto-West Germanic *swā Head templates: {{head|ang|pronoun|head=swā}} swā
  1. that, of that
    Sense id: en-swa-ang-pron-OsPu1irU
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: swæ — Northumbrian

Download JSON data for swa meaning in Old English (7.0kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*swā"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *swā",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Proto-West Germanic *swā. See there for more.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "swā",
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "pronoun",
        "head": "swā"
      },
      "expansion": "swā",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Old English",
  "lang_code": "ang",
  "pos": "pron",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "15 pennies for a man, and half that for a horse",
          "text": "æt menn fīftīene penningas and æt horse healf swā",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "that, of that"
      ],
      "id": "en-swa-ang-pron-OsPu1irU"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/swɑː/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "swæ — Northumbrian"
    }
  ],
  "word": "swa"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*swā"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *swā",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Proto-West Germanic *swā. See there for more.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "swā",
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "swā"
      },
      "expansion": "swā",
      "name": "ang-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Old English",
  "lang_code": "ang",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "16 3 19 7 7 4 17 3 2 21 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Old English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 2 22 7 7 6 13 6 2 19 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Old English pronouns",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "in that way, like that"
      ],
      "id": "en-swa-ang-adv-oDW5v1li"
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "You could see so far.",
          "text": "Man meahte swā wīde ġesēon.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "english": "This fruit is so sweet.",
          "text": "Genesis B\nÞis ofet is swā swēte.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to the extent stated; to a great extent, so, very"
      ],
      "id": "en-swa-ang-adv-jmFsXuXJ",
      "links": [
        [
          "so",
          "so"
        ],
        [
          "very",
          "very"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "16 3 19 7 7 4 17 3 2 21 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Old English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 2 22 7 7 6 13 6 2 19 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Old English pronouns",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "whatever",
          "text": "swā hwæt swā",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "whoever",
          "text": "swā hwā swā",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "wherever",
          "text": "swā hwǣr swā",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "to wherever",
          "text": "swā hwæder swā",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "from wherever",
          "text": "swā hwanon swā",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "whichever",
          "text": "swā hwelċ swā",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "whenever",
          "text": "swā hwonne swā",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "doubled (with an interrogative pronoun) to mean 'whatever', 'whoever', etc"
      ],
      "id": "en-swa-ang-adv-9SVTTr3W"
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "the more, the better",
          "text": "swā māre, swā betere",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes.",
          "text": "Swā þū nēar þām lēohte cymst, swā þīn sċadu māre wierþ.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "The more you say, the fewer people believe you.",
          "text": "the Old English Distichs of Cato\nSwā man māre spricþ, swā him lǣs manna ġelīefþ.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "doubled as a correlative: the..., the.."
      ],
      "id": "en-swa-ang-adv-FpeKBfQL"
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "as smooth as eggs",
          "text": "swā smēðe swā ǣġru",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "doubled as a comparative: as...as.."
      ],
      "id": "en-swa-ang-adv-4H~FfB7G"
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "Fools think everyone is as blind as they are, and that no one can see what they cannot.",
          "text": "late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy\nWēnaþ þā dysegan þæt ǣlċ mann sīe blind swā hīe sind, and þæt nān mann ne mæġe ġesēon þæt hīe ġesēon ne magon.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "used once as a comparative"
      ],
      "id": "en-swa-ang-adv-K3Zi2qA8"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/swɑː/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "swæ — Northumbrian"
    }
  ],
  "word": "swa"
}

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "swā þēah"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "swā swā"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "enm",
            "2": "so"
          },
          "expansion": "Middle English: so, swo; zo\nEnglish: so\nGeordie English: se\nScots: sae\nYola: zo, zoo, sae",
          "name": "desctree"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Middle English: so, swo; zo\nEnglish: so\nGeordie English: se\nScots: sae\nYola: zo, zoo, sae"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*swā"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *swā",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Proto-West Germanic *swā. See there for more.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "swā",
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "conjunction",
        "head": "swā"
      },
      "expansion": "swā",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Old English",
  "lang_code": "ang",
  "pos": "conj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "16 3 19 7 7 4 17 3 2 21 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Old English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 2 22 7 7 6 13 6 2 19 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Old English pronouns",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "I'll always be the way I am.",
          "text": "Iċ bēo simle swā iċ eom.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "Sometimes I cry like a goose.",
          "roman": "Hwīlum iċ grǣde swā gōs.",
          "text": "Exeter Book, Riddle 24",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "english": "The Welsh fled the English like fire.",
          "roman": "Þā Wēalas flugon þā Englan swā swā fȳr.",
          "text": "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, year 473",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "like, as, the way (often doubled as \"swā swā\")"
      ],
      "id": "en-swa-ang-conj-mBEbL0~Y",
      "links": [
        [
          "like",
          "like"
        ],
        [
          "as",
          "as"
        ],
        [
          "the way",
          "the way"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "when, while, as"
      ],
      "id": "en-swa-ang-conj-TD8rtglI",
      "links": [
        [
          "when",
          "when"
        ],
        [
          "while",
          "while"
        ],
        [
          "as",
          "as"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(temporal) when, while, as"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "temporal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "so, with the result that"
      ],
      "id": "en-swa-ang-conj-TbRpEujz",
      "links": [
        [
          "so",
          "so"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "16 3 19 7 7 4 17 3 2 21 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Old English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 2 22 7 7 6 13 6 2 19 0",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Old English pronouns",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "on condition that"
      ],
      "id": "en-swa-ang-conj-VlgBRI~V"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/swɑː/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "swæ — Northumbrian"
    }
  ],
  "word": "swa"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Old English adverbs",
    "Old English conjunctions",
    "Old English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Old English lemmas",
    "Old English pronouns",
    "Old English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Old English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Old English terms with IPA pronunciation"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*swā"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *swā",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Proto-West Germanic *swā. See there for more.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "swā",
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "pronoun",
        "head": "swā"
      },
      "expansion": "swā",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Old English",
  "lang_code": "ang",
  "pos": "pron",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Old English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "15 pennies for a man, and half that for a horse",
          "text": "æt menn fīftīene penningas and æt horse healf swā",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "that, of that"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/swɑː/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "swæ — Northumbrian"
    }
  ],
  "word": "swa"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Old English adverbs",
    "Old English conjunctions",
    "Old English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Old English lemmas",
    "Old English pronouns",
    "Old English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Old English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Old English terms with IPA pronunciation"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*swā"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *swā",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Proto-West Germanic *swā. See there for more.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "swā",
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "swā"
      },
      "expansion": "swā",
      "name": "ang-adv"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Old English",
  "lang_code": "ang",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "in that way, like that"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Old English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "You could see so far.",
          "text": "Man meahte swā wīde ġesēon.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "english": "This fruit is so sweet.",
          "text": "Genesis B\nÞis ofet is swā swēte.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to the extent stated; to a great extent, so, very"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "so",
          "so"
        ],
        [
          "very",
          "very"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Old English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "whatever",
          "text": "swā hwæt swā",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "whoever",
          "text": "swā hwā swā",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "wherever",
          "text": "swā hwǣr swā",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "to wherever",
          "text": "swā hwæder swā",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "from wherever",
          "text": "swā hwanon swā",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "whichever",
          "text": "swā hwelċ swā",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "whenever",
          "text": "swā hwonne swā",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "doubled (with an interrogative pronoun) to mean 'whatever', 'whoever', etc"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Old English terms with quotations",
        "Old English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "the more, the better",
          "text": "swā māre, swā betere",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes.",
          "text": "Swā þū nēar þām lēohte cymst, swā þīn sċadu māre wierþ.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "The more you say, the fewer people believe you.",
          "text": "the Old English Distichs of Cato\nSwā man māre spricþ, swā him lǣs manna ġelīefþ.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "doubled as a correlative: the..., the.."
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Old English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "as smooth as eggs",
          "text": "swā smēðe swā ǣġru",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "doubled as a comparative: as...as.."
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Old English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "Fools think everyone is as blind as they are, and that no one can see what they cannot.",
          "text": "late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy\nWēnaþ þā dysegan þæt ǣlċ mann sīe blind swā hīe sind, and þæt nān mann ne mæġe ġesēon þæt hīe ġesēon ne magon.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "used once as a comparative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/swɑː/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "swæ — Northumbrian"
    }
  ],
  "word": "swa"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Old English adverbs",
    "Old English conjunctions",
    "Old English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Old English lemmas",
    "Old English pronouns",
    "Old English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Old English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Old English terms with IPA pronunciation"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "swā þēah"
    },
    {
      "word": "swā swā"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "enm",
            "2": "so"
          },
          "expansion": "Middle English: so, swo; zo\nEnglish: so\nGeordie English: se\nScots: sae\nYola: zo, zoo, sae",
          "name": "desctree"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Middle English: so, swo; zo\nEnglish: so\nGeordie English: se\nScots: sae\nYola: zo, zoo, sae"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*swā"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *swā",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Proto-West Germanic *swā. See there for more.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "swā",
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "conjunction",
        "head": "swā"
      },
      "expansion": "swā",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Old English",
  "lang_code": "ang",
  "pos": "conj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Old English terms with quotations",
        "Old English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "english": "I'll always be the way I am.",
          "text": "Iċ bēo simle swā iċ eom.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "english": "Sometimes I cry like a goose.",
          "roman": "Hwīlum iċ grǣde swā gōs.",
          "text": "Exeter Book, Riddle 24",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "english": "The Welsh fled the English like fire.",
          "roman": "Þā Wēalas flugon þā Englan swā swā fȳr.",
          "text": "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, year 473",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "like, as, the way (often doubled as \"swā swā\")"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "like",
          "like"
        ],
        [
          "as",
          "as"
        ],
        [
          "the way",
          "the way"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "when, while, as"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "when",
          "when"
        ],
        [
          "while",
          "while"
        ],
        [
          "as",
          "as"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(temporal) when, while, as"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "temporal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "so, with the result that"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "so",
          "so"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "on condition that"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/swɑː/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "swæ — Northumbrian"
    }
  ],
  "word": "swa"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Old English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-24 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (46b31b8 and c7ea76d). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.