Zwaag

Dutch

Etymology

The village is first attested as svaech around 1312. The toponym derives from Middle Dutch swaech (“cattle pasture”).

From Middle Dutch swaech (“pasture”), from Old Frisian swāg (“pasture”). Cognate with Old High German sweiga (“pasture”). From a word originally indicating a fence (around a pasture). Compare Old Norse sveigr (“supple branch, headkerchief”), from a root meaning to twist or bend.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zʋaːx/
• Hyphenation: Zwaag
• Rhymes: -aːx

Proper noun

Zwaag f

1. A village and former municipality of Hoorn, North Holland, Netherlands
2. an element of various placenames, and surnames derived from placenames, originally meaning grassland, pasture
   • 1883, G Fuldauer, De Navorscher: Een middel tot gedachtenwisseling en letterkundig verkeer tuschen allen, die iets weten, iets te vragen hebben of iets kunnen oplossen, page 279:

     In dit gewest liggen b. v. de dorpen Korte-Zwaag, Lange-Zwaag, Zwaag-Westeinde, Snikzwaag, Hornster-Zwaag, Kollumer-Zwaag en Beetster-Zwaag of Beetsterzwaag. Dit laatste dorp wordt in Friesland gewoonlijk de Zwaag of de Sweach, ...

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Derived terms

• Zwagenaar
• Zwaags
• Zwaagdijk

See also

• weiland

Further reading

• van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “zwaag”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute