different between remark vs swear

English

Etymology 1

From Middle French remarquer, from Old French remarquer, from re- (“again”) + marquer (“to mark”); see mark.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /???m??k/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???m??k/
• Rhymes: -??(?)k

Noun

remark (countable and uncountable, plural remarks)

1. An act of pointing out or noticing; notice or observation.
2. An expression, in speech or writing, of something remarked or noticed; a mention of something
   • 1844, Charles Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit

     But the journey might have been one of several hours’ duration, without provoking a remark from either; for it was clear that Jonas did not mean to break the silence which prevailed between them, and that it was not, as yet, his dear friend’s cue to tempt them into conversation.

3. A casual observation, comment, or statement
   • 2014, Stephen King, Mr. Mercedes: A Novel

     He remembers something Pete Huntley said at lunch, just a remark in passing, and the answer comes to him.

4. (engraving) Alternative form of remarque

Related terms

• counterremark
• remarkable

Translations

Verb

remark (third-person singular simple present remarks, present participle remarking, simple past and past participle remarked)

1. (intransitive) To make a remark or remarks; to comment.
2. (transitive) To express in words or writing; to state; to make a comment

   He remarked that it was getting late.
3. (transitive) To pay heed to; notice; to take notice of
   • 1889 January 3, Antoine D'Abbadie, in a letter to the editor of Nature, volume 39, pages 247-248:

     When travelling in Spain, Willkomm remarked qobar at a distance of 3 or 4 miles, yet, on reaching the actual spot, he saw nothing.
4. (transitive, obsolete) To mark in a notable manner; to distinguish clearly; to make noticeable or conspicuous; to point out.
   • 1633, John Ford, Tis Pity She's a Whore

     Thou art a man remark'd to taste a mischief.

   • 1671, John Milton, Samson Agonistes

     His manacles remark him; there he sits.

Translations

Etymology 2

re- +? mark

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /??i?m??k/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??i??m??k/
• Rhymes: -??(?)k

Noun

remark (plural remarks)

1. Alternative spelling of re-mark

Verb

remark (third-person singular simple present remarks, present participle remarking, simple past and past participle remarked)

1. Alternative spelling of re-mark

Further reading

• remark in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• remark in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• Kramer, marker

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /sw??/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /sw??/
• Rhymes: -??(?)

Etymology 1

From Middle English sweren, swerien, from Old English swerian (“to swear, take an oath of office”), from Proto-West Germanic *swarjan, from Proto-Germanic *swarjan? (“to speak, swear”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to swear”).

Cognate with West Frisian swarre (“to swear”), Saterland Frisian swera (“to swear”), Dutch zweren (“to swear, vow”), Low German swören (“to swear”), sweren, German schwören (“to swear”), Danish sværge, Swedish svära (“to swear”), Icelandic sverja (“to swear”), Russian ????? (svara, “quarrel”). Also cognate to Albanian var (“to hang, consider, to depend from”) through Proto-Indo-European.

The original sense in all Germanic languages is “to take an oath”. The sense “to use bad language” developed in Middle English and is based on the Christian prohibition against swearing in general (cf. Matthew 5:33-37) and invoking God’s name in particular (i.e. frequent swearing was considered similar to the use of obscene words).

Verb

swear (third-person singular simple present swears, present participle swearing, simple past swore or (archaic) sware, past participle sworn or yswore)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To take an oath, to promise.

   • The Bat—they called him the Bat. […]. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.

2. (transitive, intransitive) To use offensive, profane, or obscene language.

Usage notes

• In sense 1, this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:swear word
• See also Thesaurus:swear

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From the above verb, or from Middle English sware, from Old English swaru, from Proto-Germanic *swar?.

Noun

swear (plural swears)

1. A swear word.
   • 1892, Robert Louis Stevenson, The Beach of Falesá

     You might think it funny to hear this Kanaka girl come out with a big swear. No such thing. There was no swearing in her — no, nor anger; she was beyond anger, and meant the word simple and serious.

Etymology 3

From Middle English swere, swer, swar, from Old English sw?r, sw?r (“heavy, heavy as a burden, of great weight, oppressive, grievous, painful, unpleasant, sad, feeling or expressing grief, grave, slow, dull, sluggish, slothful, indolent, inactive from weakness, enfeebled, weak”), from Proto-West Germanic *sw?r, from Proto-Germanic *sw?raz (“heavy”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“heavy”).

Cognate with West Frisian swier (“heavy”), Dutch zwaar (“heavy, hard, difficult”), German schwer (“heavy, hard, difficult”), Swedish svår (“heavy, hard, severe”), Latin s?rius (“earnest, grave, solemn, serious”) and Albanian varrë (“wound, plague”).

Alternative forms

• sweer, sweir, swere

Adjective

swear (comparative swearer or more swear, superlative swearest or most swear)

1. (Britain dialectal) Heavy.
2. (Britain dialectal) Top-heavy; too high.
3. (Britain dialectal) Dull; heavy; lazy; slow; reluctant; unwilling.
4. (Britain dialectal) Niggardly.
5. (Britain dialectal) A lazy time; a short rest during working hours (especially field labour); a siesta.

Derived terms

Verb

swear (third-person singular simple present swears, present participle swearing, simple past and past participle sweared)

1. (Britain dialectal) To be lazy; rest for a short while during working hours.

References

• swear at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• resaw, sawer, sware, wares, wears