English word sword comes from Proto-Indo-European *swer-, Proto-Indo-European *seh₂w-, and later Proto-Germanic *swardiz (That which is sworn; a swearing; oath.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *swer- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | to speak, talk, to cut, pierce, fester, ‘fester, suppurate’ later ‘pierce, wound’, to protect, to guard |
| *seh₂w- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *su̯r̥dhom | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | sword |
| *swardiz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | That which is sworn; a swearing; oath. |
| *swerdą | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Sword. |
| sweord | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | A sword. |
| swerd | Middle English (1100-1500) (enm) | Sword (weapon). |
| sword | English (en) | (heraldiccharge) The weapon, often used as a heraldic charge.. (tarot) A card of this suit.. (tarot) A suit in the minor arcana in tarot.. (weaponry) A long-bladed weapon having a handle and sometimes a hilt and designed to stab, hew, or slice and cut.. (weaving) One of the end bars by which the lay of a hand loom is suspended.. Someone paid to handle a sword. |
