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Origin and history of swash

swash(n.)

1530s, expressing a blow or the fall of a heavy body, probably imitative. It also meant "pig-wash, filth, wet refuse" (1520s) and may have been imitative of the sound of water dashing against solid objects or a heavy blow on a yielding surface.

The meaning "a body of splashing water" is by 1670s; that of "a dashing or splashing" is from 1847. Compare swish-swash "inferior drink" (1540s); "violent or swaggering person" (1580s).

Swash-letters (1680s) are old-style italic capitals with flourished projections, introduced c. 1540 by Garamond; it is from obsolete swash (adj.) "inclined obliquely," a shortening of aswash "aslant."

swash(v.)

1580s, "spill or splash (water) about," possibly from wash (v.) with an intensifying s- (compare splash/plash etc.), or else imitative of the sound of water dashing against solid objects. Earlier it meant "make a noise of swords clashing" (1550s). Related: Swashed; swashing.

also from 1580s

Entries linking to swash

wash(v.)

"apply water or liquid to for purposes of cleansing," Middle English washen, from Old English wascan "cleanse, bathe," also "cleanse spiritually" (of sin, guilt); transitive sense in late Old English; from Proto-Germanic *watskan "to wash" (source also of Old Norse vaska, Middle Dutch wasscen, Dutch wassen, German waschen), from PIE root *wed- (1) "water; wet." Related: Washed; washing.

In the literal sense used mainly of clothes in Old English (the principal verb for washing the body, dishes, etc. being þwean). Old French gaschier "to stain, soil; soak, wash" (Modern French gâcher) is from Frankish *waskan, from the same Germanic source. Italian guazzare also is a Germanic loan-word. See gu-.

By 1530s as "rinse the mouth." To wash up "clean table utensils after a meal" is from 1751 (compare washed-up). To wash down (solid food, with a liquid) is by c. 1600. To wash (one's) hands of "forsake involvement in" (an iniquity, etc.) is attested by 1550s (Lady Jane Grey), an image from Pilate in Matthew xxvii.24.

swashbuckler(n.)

also swash-buckler, 1550s, "blustering, swaggering fighting man;" earlier simply swash, 1540s, from swash (n.) in obsolete sense of "fall of a blow," also used of the sound of clashing swords, + buckler "shield." The original sense seems to have been understood as "one who makes menacing noises by striking his or an opponent's shield."

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    Trends of swash

    adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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    boast
    mid-13c., "arrogance, presumption, pride, vanity;" c. 1300, "a brag, boastful speech," from Anglo-French bost "ostentation," probably from a Scandinavian source (compare Norwegian baus "proud, bold, daring"), from Proto-Germanic *bausia "to blow up, puff up, swell" (source also o
    tout
    1700, thieves' cant, "to act as a lookout, spy on," from Middle English tuten "to peep, peer," probably from a variant of Old English totian "to stick out, peep, peer," from Proto-Germanic *tut- "project" (source also of Dutch tuit "sprout, snout," Middle Dutch tute "nipple, pap,
    brag
    late 14c., braggen "to make a loud sound," also "to talk boastfully," of obscure origin, perhaps related to bray of a trumpet and imitative, or related to the Middle English adjective brag "ostentatious, proud; spirited, brave" (early 14c.), which probably is from Celtic, and is
    amplify
    early 15c., "to enlarge, expand, increase," from Old French amplifier (15c.), from Latin amplificare "to enlarge," from amplus "large" (see ample) + combining form of facere "to make, do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). The meaning "augment in volume or amount" is from 1570s
    dot
    "point or minute spot on a surface," Old English dott, once, "speck, head of a boil," perhaps related to Norwegian dot "lump, small knot," Dutch dot "knot, small bunch, wisp," Old High German tutta "nipple;" a word of uncertain etymology. Known from a single source c. 1000; the w
    travel
    late 14c., "to journey," from travailen (1300) "to make a journey," originally "to toil, labor" (see travail). The semantic development may have been via the notion of "go on a difficult journey," but it also may reflect the difficulty of any journey in the Middle Ages. Replaced
    exaggerate
    1530s, "to pile up, accumulate," from Latin exaggeratus, past participle of exaggerare "heighten, amplify, magnify," literally "to heap, pile, load, fill," from ex, here probably "thoroughly" (see ex-), + aggerare "heap up, accumulate," figuratively "amplify, magnify," from agger
    crow
    general common name of birds of the genus Corvus (the larger sort being sometimes called ravens), Old English crawe, which is held to be imitative of the bird's cry. Compare Old Saxon kraia, Dutch kraai, Old High German chraja, German Kräke. Also other imitative bird-names such a
    triumph
    late 14c., "success in battle, conquest," also "spiritual victory" and "a procession celebrating victory in war," from Old French triumphe (12c., Modern French triomphe), from Latin triumphus "an achievement, a success; celebratory procession for a victorious general or admiral,"
    garb
    "fashion of dress," 1620s, from earlier sense "person's outward demeanor" (c. 1600), originally "elegance, stylishness" (1590s), from French garbe "graceful outline, gracefulness, comeliness" (Modern French galbe) or directly from Italian garbo "grace, elegance, pleasing manners,

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