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)

1. To swim (move in water)
2. To float (be buoyed above the water)
3. To be on a moving object floating on water.
4. 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		—
plural2	swymmen, swymme	swummen, swumme, swymmeden, swymmede
imperative plural	swymmeth, swymme	—
participles	swymmynge, swymmende	swummen, swumme, swymmed

¹ Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
² Sometimes 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.