SWARD
Wild Word Friday!
SWARD is one of those words seldom heard in modern English. As a noun, it’s used to designate a grass-covered area or a field. As a verb it means to cover or become covered with grass. SWARD traces its roots to an Anglo-Saxon word, sweard, which means a skin or hide. In modern German, a related word – schwarte – means rind or hard skin.
The word SWARD intrigues me. I’m guessing that it may be rooted in some very ancient form, perhaps the Indo-European swordos, which means dirty or black, like the soil that gradually builds up under a layer of turf.
It’s been a cold April here in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and, as much as I long for a warm spring, I’m delighted that the SWARD around my house isn’t yet lush enough to require mowing! And by the way, in case you were wondering, the SWARD pictured above is NOT my yard. I wonder who has to mow that?
How about you? Are you mowing yet? For folks in the southern hemisphere – as you approach winter, is your climate cool enough to slow down the SWARDing of your garden?
Blessings!
Sue
(Some information from Webster’s New World Dictionary. Photograph from Wikipedia.)
Hi Sue,What beautiful lookng grounds .I would hate to tackle cutting & shaping that lawn it would takes ages. I have just small lawn area & it needs to be cut through winter & summer. Having lawn just makes you feel alittle cool when we have our awful summers.In winter we have to deal with weeds & snails when it rains.!!
Interesting, Sue! Etymology is fun, isn’t it?
I wonder if “swarthy” is a related word as well.
Arlene, I love etymology (I guess that’s pretty obvious!). I bet you’re right that swarthy is a related word!
I wouldn’t be that great with a year-around yard, Trish. I’m always grateful when autumn comes and I don’t have to mow anymore. The good news is now that my husband retired from his High School principal’s job, he mows our lawn and his dad’s too. I’m off the hook!
We’ve mowed three times already. Lovely to have spring weather again. 🙂
Sward… love the word! Off to go look at mine!
Our Sward is finally starting to grow – not grass but grape hyacinths. I replanted all mine last fall with extra good dirt and separated the bulbs etc. in the garden. This spring? Five blooms in the garden. More than 50 in my Sward. I must be doing something wrong…