Middle English word beswinken comes from English besmirch, English swink, Old English swincan (To toil, labour.)
Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
---|---|---|
besmirch | English (eng) | (transitive) To tarnish something, especially someone's reputation; to debase.. (transitive, literary) To make dirty; to soil. |
swink | English (eng) | (archaic, intransitive) to labour, to work hard. (archaic, transitive) To cause to toil or drudge; to tire or exhaust with labor. (archaic) toil, work, drudgery. |
swincan | Old English (ang) | To toil, labour. |
beswincan | Old English (ang) | To labour for or at, swink, toil, make with toil. |
beswinken | Middle English (enm) |