swan

Etymology 1

From Middle English swan, from Old English swan, from Proto-West Germanic *swan, from Proto-Germanic *swanaz (“swan”, literally “the singing bird”), from Proto-Indo-European *swonh₂-/*swenh₂- (“to sing, make sound”). Cognate with West Frisian swan, Low German Swaan, swan, Dutch zwaan, German Schwan, Danish svane, Norwegian svane, Swedish svan. Related also to Old English ġeswin (“melody, song”), Old English swinsian (“to make melody”). Further cognates include (possibly) Russian звон (zvon, “ring, chime”); Latin sonus (“sound”), Sanskrit svan- (“sound”). Doublet of sound.

noun

1. Any of various species of large, long-necked waterfowl, of genus Cygnus (bird family: Anatidae), most of which have white plumage.
2. (figurative) One whose grace etc. suggests a swan.
3. (heraldry) This bird used as a heraldic charge, sometimes with a crown around its neck (e. g. the arms of Buckinghamshire).

verb

1. (intransitive) To travel or move about in an aimless, idle, or pretentiously casual way.
   He swans around that stinking office in his expensive clothes that are a little too tight for comfort, he swans around that stinking office without a care in the world. 2010, Lee Rourke, The Canal, Melville House Publishing, unnumbered page
   One of the few strokes of good luck Emma had had in recent days was the news that Tatiana Flint-Hamilton, her only real rival for top billing as 'most photographable girl' at today's event had decided to swan off to Sardinia instead, leaving the limelight entirely to Emma. 2013, Tilly Bagshawe, One Summer’s Afternoon, HarperCollin
   On the other side: the rich, beautiful tapestry of WASP culture that constituted Levis's life—friends playing horseshoes at backyard cocktail parties, where girls swanned in chaise longues, clinking their gin and tonics. 2022, Ling Ma, “G”, in Bliss Montage, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Etymology 2

Probably from dialectal I s’wan, a corruption of I shall warrant; or possibly from a minced form of I swear on.

verb

1. (US, dialectal or colloquial) To declare (chiefly in first-person present constructions).
   Well, I swan, man, I had a better opinion of you than that. 1907 December, J. D. Archer, “Foiling an eavesdropper”, in Telephony, volume 14, page 345
   ‘She slammed the door so hard I figured a window'd break […].’ ‘I swan,’ I said. 1940, Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely, Penguin, published 2010, page 214