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Origin and history of swing

swing(v.)

Middle English swingen "cause to move, throw, cast, fling; move, dash, rush;" also "deliver a blow, smite with a weapon," from Old English swingan "to beat, strike; scourge, flog; to rush, fling oneself" (strong verb, past tense swang, past participle swungen). This is from Proto-Germanic *swangwi- (source also of Middle Dutch swingen, Old Saxon, Old High German swingan "to swing," Old Frisian swinga "pour," German schwingen "to swing, swingle, oscillate"), which is of uncertain origin and might be in Germanic only. Swirl, switch, swivel, swoop are sometimes considered to be from the same source. Boutkan finds Pokorny's IE reconstruction implausible for formal and semantic reasons.

The meaning "move freely back and forth," as a body suspended from a fixed point, is recorded by 1540s; that of "move with a swinging step" is by 1854. The transitive sense "cause to sway or oscillate" is from 1550s. From 1660s as "ride on a swing;" colloquially, "be hanged," 1520s.

The sense of "bring about, make happen" is by 1934. Related: Swung; swinging.

swing(n.)

Old English swinge "a stroke, blow with a weapon; chastisement," from the verb (see swing (v.)). Some later senses developed directly from the modern verb.

By late 15c. generally as "an act or motion of swinging, the sweep of a body moving in suspension" (used with much latitude). The meaning "suspended seat on ropes fastened to points of support" is from 1680s. The sense of "free-swinging movement or gait" is by 1730. The meaning "shift of public opinion" is from 1899.

The meaning "variety of big dance-band music with a swinging rhythm" based on the performer's lag or rush of the time, is attested by 1933, though the sense has been traced back to 1888. An all-but-ineffable quality yet what wants it don't mean a thing; its heyday was mid-1930s to mid-1940s.

Phrase in full swing "in total effect or operation" (1560s) perhaps is from bell-ringing. The backyard or playground swing-set "one or more children's swings on a rigid frame" is by 1912, American English.

Entries linking to swing

swinging(adj.)

1550s, "moving to and fro," present-participle adjective from swing (v.). By 1730 as "made or adapted to turn freely in either direction." The meaning "marked by a free, sweeping movement" is from 1818. The figurative sense of "uninhibited" is from 1958.

swag(v.)

"move heavily or unsteadily," 1520s, now provincial or archaic, probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse sveggja "to swing, sway," from the same source as Old English swingan "to swing" (see swing (v.)). Earlier it meant "swing an object" (c. 1400), "swing or shake freely" (late 15c.). Related: Swagged; swagging (mid-15c.).