swear

Meaning

Verb

1. To take an oath, to promise intensely, solemnly, and/or with legally binding effect.
2. To take an oath that an assertion is true.
3. To promise intensely that something is true; to strongly assert.
4. To administer an oath to (a person).
5. To use offensive, profane, or obscene language.

Noun

A swear word.

Adj

1. Heavy.
2. Top-heavy; too high.
3. Dull; lazy; slow.
4. Reluctant; unwilling.
5. Niggardly.

Noun

A lazy time; a short rest during working hours (especially field labour); a siesta.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/swɛə/

Etymology

From Middle English sweren, swerien, from Old English swerian (“to swear, take an oath of office”), from Proto-West Germanic *swarjan, from Proto-Germanic *swarjaną (“to speak, swear”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to swear”).
Cognate with West Frisian swarre (“to swear”), Saterland Frisian swera (“to swear”), Dutch zweren (“to swear, vow”), Low German swören (“to swear”), sweren, German schwören (“to swear”), Danish sværge, Swedish svära (“to swear”), Icelandic sverja (“to swear”), Russian свара (svara, “quarrel”). Also cognate to Albanian var (“to hang, consider, to depend from”) through Proto-Indo-European.
The original sense in all Germanic languages is “to take an oath”. The sense “to use bad language” developed in Middle English and is based on the Christian prohibition against swearing in general (cf. Matthew 5:33-37) and invoking God’s name in particular (i.e. frequent swearing was considered similar to the use of obscene words).