Swain — is a traditional English surname derived ultimately from the Old Norse personal name Sveinn (Sven, Sweyn), meaning a youth, young man. There are a number of variations in the spelling of the surname Swain, including Swaine, Swainne and Swayne.… … Wikipedia
Swain — Swain, n. [OE. swain, swein, Icel. sveinn a boy, servant; akin to Sw. sven, Dan. svend, AS. sw[=a]n, OHG. swein.] 1. A servant. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Him behoves serve himself that has no swain. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] 2. A young man dwelling in… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
swain — [sweın] n old use [Date: 1500 1600; : Old Norse; Origin: sveinn boy, servant ] a young man from the country who loves a woman … Dictionary of contemporary English
swain — [ sweın ] noun count LITERARY a young man, especially a young man who is in love … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
swain — mid 12c., young man attendant upon a knight, from O.N. sveinn boy, servant, attendant, from P.Gmc. *swainaz attendant, servant, properly “one s own (man),” from PIE *swoi no , from root *swe oneself, alone, apart (see IDIOM (Cf. idiom)).… … Etymology dictionary
swain — swain; swainmote /sweyn(mowt)/ See swein sweinmote … Black's law dictionary
swain — ► NOUN 1) archaic a country youth. 2) literary a young lover or suitor. ORIGIN Old Norse, lad … English terms dictionary
swain — [swān] n. [ME swein < ON sveinn, boy, servant, akin to OE swan, shepherd, peasant, youth < IE * swe , one s own, apart] Archaic 1. a country youth 2. a young rustic lover or gallant 3. a lover or suitor swainish adj. swainishness n … English World dictionary
swain — The earliest meaning of this word in English was ‘boy’ or ‘servant’. Traces of this survive in compounds like ‘boatswain’, ‘coxswain’. By the seventeenth century the meaning had shifted across to ‘peasant labourer’, or ‘shepherd’. Petruchio … A dictionary of epithets and terms of address
swain — boat·swain; swain; swain·ish; swain·so·na; swain·son; cox·swain; … English syllables
