Origin and history of swirl

early 15c., "whirlpool, eddy," originally Scottish, a word of uncertain origin (see swirl (v.)). The meaning "whirling movement" is from 1818. As "a twist or convolution" (in hair, the grain of wood, etc.) by 1786. As the name of a fairground ride by 1962.

1510s, transitive, "give a swirling or eddying motion to" (with an isolated instance from 14c.); perhaps from a continental Germanic source (compare Dutch zwirrelen, Norwegian dialect svirla "to whirl") or from swirl (n.). The intransitive sense, "have a whirling motion, form or whirl in eddies," is from 1755. Related: Swirled; swirling.