zwaard

From Middle Dutch swert, swaert, from Old Dutch swert, from Proto-West Germanic *swerd, from Proto-Germanic *swerdą, ultimately from one of three Proto-Indo-European roots: Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to cut, to fester”) (from whence zweren (“to fester”)), *suer- (“to hang”) (from whence zwaar (“heavy”)), or *uer- (“to defend”) (from whence weren (“to defend”), see also Swedish värja). Compare Old Saxon swerd, Low German Sweerd, Old High German swert, German Schwert, Old Frisian swerd, West Frisian swurd, Old English sweord, English sword, Old Norse sverð, Danish sværd, Swedish svärd.

• IPA^(key): /zʋaːrt/

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• Hyphenation: zwaard
• Rhymes: -aːrt

zwaard n (plural zwaarden, diminutive zwaardje n)

1. A sword, heavy blade weapon.
2. A leeboard.

• Afrikaans: swaard
• Negerhollands: sweerd