sw

Translingual

Symbol

sw

1. (international standards) ISO 639-1 language code for Swahili.

Egyptian

Etymology 1

From Proto-Afroasiatic *sū. Cognate to Proto-Semitic *šuʔa and Central Atlas Tamazight -ⴰⵙ (-as).

Pronunciation

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /suː/
  • Conventional anglicization: su

Pronoun

 m sg 3. enclitic (‘dependent’) pronoun

1. he, him (see usage notes)

Usage notes

By the time of Late Egyptian, this pronoun was no longer strictly masculine but common to both genders, as it had entirely merged with the feminine equivalent st through sound change.

This form of pronoun is an enclitic that must directly follow the word it modifies. Its meaning depends on its context:

• When it follows a verb, it indicates the object of the verb.
• In the second and third person when it follows an adjective, it forms the subject of an adjectival sentence.
• When it follows a relative adjective, such as ntj, ntt, or jsṯ, it indicates the subject of the relative clause (usually only in the first person singular and third person common).
• When it follows an imperative, it indicates the subject or the object of the verb.
• When it follows a particle like m.k, it indicates the subject of the clause.
• When attached to a preposition, it indicates the object of the preposition.

Inflection

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of sw  

sw	s	s	sw	st	st
			rare	after merger with feminine st	after merger with feminine st, by confusion with plural st

Derived terms

• swt

Pronoun

 m sg 3. proclitic (‘subject form’) pronoun

1. he

Usage notes

This form of pronoun is a proclitic that must stand at the beginning of a sentence (generally adverbial) and cannot come after any particles. It always indicates the subject of the sentence.

Inflection

Alternative forms

See under the enclitic pronoun above.

Etymology 2

Noun

 m

1. used with an ordinal number, indicates a day of the month

   ― sw snnw ― the second day of the month

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of sw  

sw	sw	sw	sw	s	sw	sw	sw
This was the usual writing before the Late Period.

Descendants

• Coptic: ⲥⲟⲩ- (sou-)

See also

• hrw

References

• James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 51, 107, 116.
• Erman, Adolf, Grapow, Hermann (1926–1961) Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN
• Junge, Friedrich (2005) Late Egyptian Grammar: An Introduction, second English edition, Oxford: Griffith Institute, page 77

Welsh

Etymology

Borrowed from English zoo.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /suː/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /zuː/
• Rhymes: -uː

Noun

sw m (plural sŵau, not mutable)

1. zoo

Derived terms

• fformat sw (“zoo format”)
• Sw Mynydd Cymru (“Welsh Mountain Zoo”)

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “sw”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

Zhuang

Pronunciation

• (Standard Zhuang) IPA^(key): /θɯ˨˦/
• Tone numbers: sw¹
• Hyphenation: sw

Etymology 1

From Proto-Tai *sɯːᴬ (“writing; book”), from Middle Chinese 書 (MC syo, “writing; book”). Cognate with Lao ສື (sư̄), Thai สือ (sʉ̌ʉ).

Noun

sw (1957–1982 spelling sɯ)

1. (dialectal) (Chinese) character

   Synonym: saw

2. (dialectal) book

   Synonym: saw

Etymology 2

From Chinese 輸 (MC syu).

Verb

sw (1957–1982 spelling sɯ)

1. (dialectal) to lose

   Synonym: saw

Etymology 3

Noun

sw (Sawndip form ⿰犭書, 1957–1982 spelling sɯ)

1. (dialectal) tiger

   Synonym: guk

Derived terms

• swbeuq