*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of swack

From Middle English swac (“weak”), possibly borrowed via Scots swack, ultimately from Old English *swæc (found in derivative swæcehēow (“weakmindedness, nonsense”)), from Proto-West Germanic *swak (“weak”). Cognate with

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
adj

Lithe; nimble.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English swac (“weak”), possibly borrowed via Scots swack, ultimately from Old English *swæc (found in derivative swæcehēow (“weakmindedness, nonsense”)), from Proto-West Germanic *swak (“weak”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian swäk, West Frisian swak, Dutch zwak, German Low German swack, German schwach, Norwegian Bokmål svak.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Derivation mentionswacenm
  • Borrowed-form mentionswacksco
  • Derivation mention*swæcang
  • Derivation mention*swakgmw-pro
  • Cognate mentionswäkstq
  • Cognate mentionswakfy
  • Cognate mentionzwaknl
  • Cognate mentionschwachde
  • Cognate mentionsvaknb
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      },
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    },
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      "name": "der",
      "args": {
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        "2": "enm",
        "3": "swac",
        "4": "",
        "5": "weak"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English swac (“weak”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sco",
        "3": "swack"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots swack"
    },
    {
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        "2": "ang",
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    },
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        "1": "stq",
        "2": "swäk"
      },
      "expansion": "Saterland Frisian swäk"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "swak"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian swak"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "zwak"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch zwak"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds-de",
        "2": "swack"
      },
      "expansion": "German Low German swack"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "schwach"
      },
      "expansion": "German schwach"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nb",
        "2": "svak"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian Bokmål svak"
    }
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      "swac#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "swack#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "*swæc",
      "Reconstruction:Old English/swæc"
    ],
    [
      "swæcehēow",
      "swæceheow#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*swak",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/swak"
    ],
    [
      "swäk",
      "swäk#Saterland_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "swak",
      "swak#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "zwak",
      "zwak#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "swack",
      "swack#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "schwach",
      "schwach#German"
    ],
    [
      "svak",
      "svak#Norwegian_Bokmål"
    ]
  ],
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        "Lithe; nimble."
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A large number or amount of something.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Unknown. Speculatively, may be an extension of the sharp blow sense. Compare whack in the sense of "large portion of something".

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

A sharp blow. · The sound of a sharp blow. · A wet sound such as a loud kiss. · A striking stimulus.

verb

To slap or hit. · To make a swack (sound). · To consume with hearty enjoyment. · To labour; to exert an effort.

adv

With a swack, to the point of touching.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Considered dialect by Wright, but now widespread. Scottish National Dictionary proposes an origin in Old Scots (Middle English) swak ("to throw violently"). Compare Scots swak, swack (“to throw with violent force, dash", also "a hard blow or whack”). Compare also Middle Dutch swacken (“to shake, wave”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Cognate mentionswaksco
  • Cognate mentionswackendum · to shake, wave

This page abbreviates 4 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      },
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    },
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for swack →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-c3dhY2s