Middle English word swiven comes from Proto-Indo-European *wimb-, Proto-Indo-European *ksweybʰ-, Proto-Indo-European *swey-, and later Proto-Germanic *swībaną (To finish. To revolve; move around; sway; stray. To sweep.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *wimb- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *ksweybʰ- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *swey- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *swībaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To finish. To revolve; move around; sway; stray. To sweep. |
| swīfan | Old English (ang) | |
| swiven | Middle English (enm) | To have sexual intercourse; copulate. |