Origin and history of swan

large, web-footed swimming bird, stately and graceful in the water, noted for its long neck and white down; Old English swan "swan," from Proto-Germanic *swanaz "singer" (source also of Old Saxon swan, Old Norse svanr, Danish svane, Swedish svan, Middle Dutch swane, Dutch zwaan, Old High German swan, German Schwan), probably etymologically "the singing bird" (from PIE root *swen- "to make sound"). If so, it is related to Old English geswin "melody, song" and swinsian "to make melody."

In classical mythology the bird was sacred to Apollo and to Venus. The ancient Indo-European supernatural swan-maiden was so called by mythographers from 1829 (from German). Swan dive is recorded from 1898. Swanherd "one who tends swans" is late 15c. Swannage (late 14c.) was a payment for the right to keep swans.