*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of swarm

From Middle English swarm, from Old English swearm (“swarm, multitude”), from Proto-West Germanic *swarm, from Proto-Germanic *swarmaz (“swarm, dizziness”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to buzz, hum”). Cognate with

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In this entry · 1 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.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
verb

To move as a swarm. · To teem, or be overrun with insects, people, etc. · To fill a place as a swarm. · To overwhelm as by an opposing army.

noun

A large number of insects or other bugs (e.g. centipedes), especially when in motion or (for bees) migrating to a new colony. · A mass of people, animals or things in motion or turmoil. · A group of nodes sharing the same torrent in a BitTorrent network. · A number of small earthquakes (or other seismic events) occurring, with no clear cause, in a specific area within a relatively short space of time.

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

From Middle English swarm, from Old English swearm (“swarm, multitude”), from Proto-West Germanic *swarm, from Proto-Germanic *swarmaz (“swarm, dizziness”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to buzz, hum”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Swoorm (“swarm”), Dutch zwerm, German Schwarm, Danish sværm, Swedish svärm, Icelandic svarmur (“tumult, swarm”), Latin susurrus (“whispering, humming”), Lithuanian surma (“a pipe”), Russian свире́ль (svirélʹ, “a pipe, reed”). The verb is from Middle English swarmen, swermen, from Old English swirman (“to swarm”), from Proto-West Germanic *swarmijan, from Proto-Germanic *swarmijaną (“to swarm”), from the noun. Cognate with Scots swairm, swerm (“to swarm”), Dutch zwermen, German schwärmen, Danish sværme, Swedish svärma.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

This page abbreviates 2 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.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:swarm"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*swer-\", \"status\" : \"ambiguous\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*swarmaz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"swearm\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"swarm\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"swarm\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"swarm\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "swarm"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English swarm"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "swearm",
        "t": "swarm, multitude"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English swearm (“swarm, multitude”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*swarm"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *swarm"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*swarmaz",
        "t": "swarm, dizziness"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *swarmaz (“swarm, dizziness”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*swer-",
        "t": "to buzz, hum"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to buzz, hum”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "stq",
        "2": "Swoorm",
        "3": "",
        "4": "swarm"
      },
      "expansion": "Saterland Frisian Swoorm (“swarm”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "zwerm"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch zwerm"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Schwarm"
      },
      "expansion": "German Schwarm"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "sværm"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish sværm"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "svärm"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish svärm"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "svarmur",
        "3": "",
        "4": "tumult, swarm"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic svarmur (“tumult, swarm”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "susurrus",
        "3": "",
        "4": "whispering, humming"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin susurrus (“whispering, humming”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "lt",
        "2": "surma",
        "3": "",
        "4": "a pipe"
      },
      "expansion": "Lithuanian surma (“a pipe”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ru",
        "2": "свире́ль",
        "3": "",
        "4": "a pipe, reed"
      },
      "expansion": "Russian свире́ль (svirélʹ, “a pipe, reed”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "swarmen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English swarmen"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "swirman",
        "t": "to swarm"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English swirman (“to swarm”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*swarmijan"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *swarmijan"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*swarmijaną",
        "t": "to swarm"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *swarmijaną (“to swarm”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "swairm"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots swairm"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "zwermen"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch zwermen"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "schwärmen"
      },
      "expansion": "German schwärmen"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "sværme"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish sværme"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "svärma"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish svärma"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
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        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:swarm"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "swarm",
      "swarm#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "swearm",
      "swearm#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*swarm",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/swarm"
    ],
    [
      "*swarmaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/swarmaz"
    ],
    [
      "*swer-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/swer-"
    ],
    [
      "Swoorm",
      "Swoorm#Saterland_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "zwerm",
      "zwerm#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Schwarm",
      "Schwarm#German"
    ],
    [
      "sværm",
      "sværm#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "svärm",
      "svärm#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "svarmur",
      "svarmur#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "susurrus",
      "susurrus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "surma",
      "surma#Lithuanian"
    ],
    [
      "свире́ль",
      "свирель#Russian"
    ],
    [
      "swarmen",
      "swarmen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "swermen",
      "swermen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "swirman",
      "swirman#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*swarmijan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/swarmijan"
    ],
    [
      "*swarmijaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/swarmijaną"
    ],
    [
      "swairm",
      "swairm#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "swerm",
      "swerm#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "zwermen",
      "zwermen#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "schwärmen",
      "schwärmen#German"
    ],
    [
      "sværme",
      "sværme#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "svärma",
      "svärma#Swedish"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To move as a swarm.",
        "To teem, or be overrun with insects, people, etc.",
        "To fill a place as a swarm.",
        "To overwhelm as by an opposing army."
      ],
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      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A large number of insects or other bugs (e.g. centipedes), especially when in motion or (for bees) migrating to a new colony.",
        "A mass of people, animals or things in motion or turmoil.",
        "A group of nodes sharing the same torrent in a BitTorrent network.",
        "A number of small earthquakes (or other seismic events) occurring, with no clear cause, in a specific area within a relatively short space of time."
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalSenses": 2,
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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 swarm →

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-c3dhcm0