swa

swa

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Swahili.

From French soie.

swa

1. silk

Borrowed from Papiamentu swa, from Dutch zwager.

• IPA^(key): /sʋaː/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: swa
• Rhymes: -aː

swa m (plural swa's, diminutive swaatje n)

1. (slang, Netherlands, Antilles) mate, bud, friend

   Synonyms: gabber, maat, makker, mattie, vriend

   Ey swa, alles goed? ― Oi mate, how you doing?

• was

swa

1. Romanization of 𐍃𐍅𐌰

From French soir (“evening”).

• IPA^(key): /swa/

swa

1. evening

• swæ — Northumbrian

From Proto-West Germanic *swā. See there for more.

• IPA^(key): /swɑː/

swā

1. that, of that
   • æt menn fīftīene penningas and æt horse healf swā

     15 pennies for a man, and half that for a horse

swā

1. in that way, like that
2. to the extent stated; to a great extent, so, very
   • Man meahte swā wīde ġesēon.

     You could see so far.

   • Genesis B

     Þis ofet is swā swēte.

     This fruit is so sweet.

3. doubled (with an interrogative pronoun) to mean 'whatever', 'whoever', etc

   swā hwæt swā ― whatever

   swā hwā swā ― whoever

   swā hwǣr swā ― wherever

   swā hwæder swā ― to wherever

   swā hwanon swā ― from wherever

   swā hwelċ swā ― whichever

   swā hwonne swā ― whenever

4. doubled as a correlative: the..., the...

   swā māre, swā betere

   the more, the better

   Swā þū nēar þām lēohte cymst, swā þīn sċadu māre wierþ.

   The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes.

   • the Old English Distichs of Cato

     Swā man māre spricþ, swā him lǣs manna ġelīefþ.

     The more you say, the fewer people believe you.

5. doubled as a comparative: as... as...

   swā smēðe swā ǣġru

   as smooth as eggs

6. used once as a comparative
   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy

     Wēnaþ þā dysegan þæt ǣlċ mann sīe blind swā hīe sind, and þæt nān mann ne mæġe ġesēon þæt hīe ġesēon ne magon.

     Fools think everyone is as blind as they are, and that no one can see what they cannot.

swā

1. like, as, the way (often doubled as "swā swā")

   Iċ bēo simle swā iċ eom.

   I'll always be the way I am.

   • Exeter Book, Riddle 24

     Hwīlum iċ grǣde swā gōs.

     Sometimes I cry like a goose.

   • Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, year 473

     Þā Wēalas flugon þā Englan swā swā fȳr.

     The Welsh fled the English like fire.

2. (temporal) when, while, as
3. so, with the result that
4. on condition that

• swā þēah
• swā swā

• Middle English: so, swo; zo
  • English: so
  • Geordie English: se
  • Scots: sae
  • Yola: zo, zoo, sae

• sua (alternative spelling)

From Dutch zwager (“brother-in-law”).

swa

1. friend, pal, comrade
2. brother-in-law

• → Dutch: swa

• IPA^(key): /sfa/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -a
• Syllabification: swa

swa

1. Alternative form of swoja.

Compare Saramaccan suwá and Aukan suwa. Likely from English sour.

• IPA^(key): /swa/

swa

1. sour

swa

1. acid

From Proto-Bantu *-kúa.

swa

1. to die