Proto-Indo-European:
* *sweyp-: This word meant "to swell, to increase" and likely referred to the movement of water or the sensation of being immersed.
Proto-Germanic:
* *sweipan: This word evolved from the Proto-Indo-European *sweyp- and retained the general meaning of "to swim."
Old English:
* swimman: This word directly descended from the Proto-Germanic *sweipan and became the standard term for swimming in Old English.
Middle English:
* swimmen: This word simply adjusted the spelling from "swimman" to "swimmen" in Middle English.
Modern English:
* swim: This word, the modern form of "swimmen," has remained largely unchanged for centuries and is now the common verb for the act of moving through water using limbs or fins.
Therefore, the word "swim" has an ancient lineage, ultimately originating from the Proto-Indo-European root *sweyp-, meaning "to swell" or "to increase," highlighting the connection between swimming and water movement.