swelten

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *sweltan, from Proto-West Germanic *sweltan, from Proto-Germanic *sweltaną.

Verb

swelten

1. to succumb, to collapse
2. to be exhausted
3. to waste away

Inflection

Strong class 3
Infinitive	swelten
3rd sg. past	swalt
3rd pl. past	swolten
Past participle	geswolten
Infinitive	swelten
In genitive	sweltens
In dative	sweltene
Indicative	Present	Past
1st singular	swelte	swalt
2nd singular	swelts, sweltes	swolts, swoltes
3rd singular	swelt, sweltet	swalt
1st plural	swelten	swolten
2nd plural	swelt, sweltet	swolt, swoltet
3rd plural	swelten	swolten
Subjunctive	Present	Past
1st singular	swelte	swolte
2nd singular	swelts, sweltes	swoltes
3rd singular	swelte	swolte
1st plural	swelten	swolten
2nd plural	swelt, sweltet	swoltet
3rd plural	swelten	swolten
Imperative	Present
Singular	swelt, swelte
Plural	swelt, sweltet
	Present	Past
Participle	sweltende	geswolten

Descendants

• Dutch: zwelten

Further reading

• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “swelten”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

Middle English

Alternative forms

• swelte
• (Northern) squelt, suelt
• (early) sweltan

Etymology

From Old English sweltan, from Proto-West Germanic *sweltan, from Proto-Germanic *sweltaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈswɛltən/

Verb

swelten

1. To die; to pass away.
2. To kill; to put to death.
3. To faint or swoon.
4. To swelter; to faint from heat.

Conjugation

Conjugation of swelten (strong class 3 or weak in -te/-ed)

infinitive	(to) swelten, swelte
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	swelte	swalt, swelte, swelted
2nd-person singular	sweltest	swolte, swalt, sweltest, sweltedest
3rd-person singular	swelteth, swelt	swalt, swelte, swelted
subjunctive singular	swelte	swolte1, swelte1, swelted1
imperative singular		—
plural2	swelten, swelte	swolten, swolte, swelten, swelte, swelteden, sweltede
imperative plural	swelteth, swelte	—
participles	sweltynge, sweltende	swolten, swolte, swelt, swelted

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

Related terms

• forswelten

Descendants

• English: swelt
• Scots: swelt, swalt

References

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