Schwein

Central Franconian

Etymology

From Middle High German and Old High German swīn, from Proto-West Germanic *swīn. Native only in western Moselle Franconian, otherwise borrowed from standard German.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃʋɛi̯n/

Noun

Schwein n (plural Schwein or Schweine, diminutive Schweinche)

1. (western Moselle Franconian) pig; swine (animal)
2. (all dialects) swine (mean person)

Synonyms

• (pig): Ferke; Sau

German

Etymology

From Middle High German swīn, from Old High German swīn (akin to Old Saxon swīn), from Proto-West Germanic *swīn.

Compare Low German Swin, Swien, Schwien (Schweyn), Dutch zwijn, English swine, Danish svin (also comparable to Latin suīnus and to Polish świnia).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃvaɪ̯n/, [ʃʋaɪ̯n], [ʃʋäe̯n], [ʃʋɑe̯n]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪ̯n

Noun

Schwein n (strong, genitive Schweines or Schweins, plural Schweine, diminutive Schweinchen n or Schweinderl n)

1. swine, pig.
2. (derogatory) A dirty, or contemptible person.
3. (often construed with haben) luck, good fortune

Declension

Declension of Schwein [neuter, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Schwein	die	Schweine
genitive	eines	des	Schweines, Schweins	der	Schweine
dative	einem	dem	Schwein, Schweine1	den	Schweinen
accusative	ein	das	Schwein	die	Schweine

¹Now rare, see notes.

Hyponyms

• Eber
• Ferkel
• Sau

Derived terms

• schweinartig
• schweineartig
• schweinekalt
• schweinisch
• schweinern

Related terms

• Hausschwein
• Kielschwein
• Meerschwein
• Minischwein
• Schweinebacke
• Schweinefleisch
• Schweinehirte
• Schweinehund
• Schweinekotelett
• Schweinepriester
• Schweineschinken
• Schweineschnitzel
• Sparschwein
• Stachelschwein
• Warzenschwein
• Wildschwein

 

(luck):

• Schwein haben

 

Further reading

• “Schwein” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Schwein” in Duden online
• “Schwein” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
• Friedrich Kluge (1883) “Schwein”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891
• Schwein on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^de

Hunsrik

Etymology

From Middle High German and Old High German swīn (akin to Old Saxon swin), from Proto-West Germanic *swīn.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃvaɪ̯n/, [ʃwaɪ̯n]

Noun

Schwein n (plural Schwein, diminutive Schweinche)

1. pig

   Die Schwein esse alle Sorte Dings.

   Pigs eat all sorts of things.

Further reading

• Online Hunsrik Dictionary