swarmen
Low German
Etymology
From the noun Swarm. Related to Dutch zwermen and German schwärmen.
Verb
swarmen (past swarm, past participle swarmt, auxiliary verb hebben)
- to swarm
Conjugation
Conjugation of swarmen (weak verb)
| infinitive | swarmen | |
|---|---|---|
| indicative | present | preterite |
| 1st person singular | swarm | swarm |
| 2nd person singular | swarms(t) | swarms(t) |
| 3rd person singular | swarm(t) | swarm |
| plural | swarmt, swarmen | swarmen |
| imperative | present | — |
| singular | swarm(e) | |
| plural | swarmt | |
| participle | present | past |
| swarmen | (e)swarmt, geswarmt | |
| Note: This conjugation is one of many; neither its grammar nor spelling apply to all dialects. | ||
Middle English
Alternative forms
- swermen, swarmyn
Etymology
From Old English swierman, from Proto-Germanic *swarmijaną; equivalent to swarm + -en.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈswarmən/, /ˈswɛrmən/
Verb
swarmen
- To swarm; to move around in a large group.
- a. 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Summoner's Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, lines 1693-1696:
- Right so as bees out swarmen from an hyve, / Out of the develes ers ther gonne dryve / Twenty thousand freres on a route / And thurghout helle swarmed al aboute...
- Just like bees swarm from a hive / Out of the devil's arse there were driven / Twenty thousand friars on a rout / And throughout hell they swarmed all about...
-
- (rare) To be present in great quantity.
Conjugation
Conjugation of swarmen (weak)
| infinitive | (to) swarmen | |
|---|---|---|
| indicative | present | past |
| 1st person singular | swarme | swarmede |
| 2nd person singular | swarmest | swarmedest |
| 3rd person singular | swarmeth, swarmeþ | swarmede |
| plural | swarmen | swarmeden |
| subjunctive | present | past |
| singular | swarme | swarmede |
| plural | swarmen | swarmeden |
| imperative | present | |
| singular | swarme | |
| plural | swarmeth, swarmeþ | |
| participle | present | past |
| swarmende, swarminge | swarmed, yswarmed | |
Descendants
- English: swarm
- Scots: swairm
References
- “swarmen (v.)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-11-25.