swien
See also: Swien
Middle English
Etymology
Old English swigian (“to be or become silent, quiet or still”), from Proto-Germanic *swīgijaną, *swīgāną. Cognate with Dutch zwijgen (“to be silent, keep quiet”), German schweigen (“to be silent, keep quiet, stop talking”).
Verb
swīen
- to be silent, to refrain from speaking or making sound
Usage notes
- Not to be confused with sweien (“make a sound”), with which it was homophonous by the 13th century.[1]
Alternative forms
- swigen, swigigen, swiȝie; swie
References
- Edna Rees Williams, The Conflict of Homonyms in English (1944), page 100