swymmen

Middle English

Alternative forms

suymmyne, sweme, swemmen, swimmen, swyme, swymme
squim (Northern)

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)

To swim (move in water)
To float (be buoyed above the water)
To be on a moving object floating on water.
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	swumme, swam, swymmedest
3rd-person singular	swymmeth	swam, swymmed
subjunctive singular	swymme	swumme¹, swymmed¹
imperative singular	swymme	—

plural²	swymmen, swymme	swummen, swumme, swymmeden, swymmede
imperative plural	swymmeth, swymme	—

participles	swymmynge, swymmende	swummen, swumme, swymmed

¹Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
²Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

English: swim
Scots: sweem, soom

References

“swimmen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

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