swearing (English)

Where does "swearing" come from?

The word 'swearing' evolved from the Middle English 'sweryng,' formed by combining 'sweren' with the noun-forming suffix '-ing.' Its root lies in the Proto-Germanic *swarjaną and the Proto-Indo-European *swer-, which originally referred to taking a solemn oath. Over time, the meaning shifted in Middle English to include the use of profane language, reflecting the cultural association between the forbidden misuse of holy oaths and the use of obscene words.

Full etymology tree

• swearing (English), 'The act of swearing, or making an oath.'
  • compound swear (English), 'To take an oath, to promise intensely, solemnly, and/or with legally binding effect.'
    • inherited sweren (Middle English), 'To lay the foundation for a religion.'
      • inherited swerian (Old English), 'to swear (an oath or a promise)'
        • inherited *swarjan (Proto-West Germanic), 'to swear'
          • inherited *swarjaną (Proto-Germanic), 'to swear (an oath)'
            • inherited *swer- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to ache'
  • compound -ing (English), 'Used to form nouns or noun-like words (or elements of noun phrases) from verbs, denoting the act of doing something, an action, or the embodiment of an action.'
    • inherited -ynge (Middle English), 'Forms gerunds or verbal nouns from verbs, usually referring to an action, but also in the following extended senses:'
      • inherited -ing (Old English), 'Forming nouns from verbs, indicating action, process or material.'
        • inherited *-ingu (Proto-West Germanic)
          • inherited *-ingō (Proto-Germanic)

Direct ancestors

• sweryng (Middle English)
• swear (English)
• -ing (English)

Updated May 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris