swan

Meanings

Noun

• Any of various species of large, long-necked waterfowl, of genus Cygnus (bird family: Anatidae), most of which have white plumage.
• One whose grace etc. suggests a swan.
• This bird used as a heraldic charge, sometimes with a crown around its neck (e. g. the arms of Buckinghamshire).

Verb

• To travel or move about in an aimless, idle, or pretentiously casual way.
• To declare (chiefly in first-person present constructions).

Origin

• From Middle English swan, from Old English swan, from Proto-West Germanic *swan, from Proto-Germanic *swanaz, from Proto-Indo-European/*swenh₂-. Cognate with West Frisian swan, Low German Swaan, swan, Dutch zwaan, German Schwan, Norwegian svane, Swedish svan. Related also to Old English ġeswin, Old English swinsian, Latin sonus, Russian звон, Russian звук.
• Probably from dialectal I s’wan, a corruption of I shall warrant; or possibly from a minced form of I swear on.