Middle English word swipen comes from Proto-Germanic *swipjaną, Proto-Indo-European *wimb-, Proto-Indo-European *swey-, and later Proto-Germanic *swībaną (To finish. To revolve; move around; sway; stray. To sweep.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *swipjaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| *wimb- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | to turn, rotate, spin, spin around |
| *swey- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | to twist, swing |
| *swībaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To finish. To revolve; move around; sway; stray. To sweep. |
| *swippōną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To sway, move swiftly, swerve. |
| swippan | Old English (ang) | |
| swippen | Middle English (enm) |