swan
pronunciation
How to pronounce swan in British English:
UK [swɒn]
How to pronounce swan in American English:
US [swɑːn]
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- Noun:
- stately heavy-bodied aquatic bird with very long neck and usually white plumage as adult
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- Verb:
- to declare or affirm solemnly and formally as true
- move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
- sweep majestically
Word Origin
- swan
- swan: [OE] Swan is a general Germanic word, with relatives in German schwan, Dutch zwaan, Swedish svan, and Danish svane. These all come from a prehistoric base *swan-, which may go back ultimately to Indo-European *swon-, *swen- ‘make sound’ (source of Latin sonus ‘sound’, from which English gets sound). If it does, the swan was originally named for the (admittedly rather unmusical) sound it makes.=> sound
- swan (n.)
- Old English swan "swan," from Proto-Germanic *swanaz "singer" (cognates: Old Saxon swan, Old Norse svanr, Danish svane, Swedish svan, Middle Dutch swane, Dutch zwaan, Old High German swan, German Schwan), probably literally "the singing bird," from PIE root *swen- "to sing, make sound" (see sound (n.1)); thus related to Old English geswin "melody, song" and swinsian "to make melody." In classical mythology, sacred to Apollo and to Venus. The singing of swans before death was alluded to by Chaucer (late 14c.), but swan-song (1831) is a translation of German Schwanengesang. The ancient Indo-European mythical swan-maiden so called by mythographers from 1829. Swan dive is recorded from 1898. A black swan was proverbial for "something extremely rare or non-existent" (late 14c.), after Juvenal ["Sat." vi. 164], but later they turned up in Australia (Chenopsis atratus). "Do you say no worthy wife is to be found among all these crowds?" Well, let her be handsome, charming, rich and fertile; let her have ancient ancestors ranged about her halls; let her be more chaste than all the dishevelled Sabine maidens who stopped the war--a prodigy as rare upon the earth as a black swan! yet who could endure a wife that possessed all perfections? I would rather have a Venusian wench for my wife than you, O Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi, if, with all your virtues, you bring me a haughty brow, and reckon up Triumphs as part of your marriage portion. [Juvenal]
Example
- 1. God , you 're such a swan in this light .
- 2. Socrates explained that the swan was singing because it was happy .
- 3. Then shall I use my second wish to turn you back into a swan again ?
- 4. Kenneth dial , right , and brandon jackson examine a mute swan .
- 5. We 're living in a black swan world , but what does this mean for the future of technology ?