different between swain vs nymph

English

Alternative forms

• swaine, swein (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English swayn, swain, sweyn, swein, from Old English swe?en (attested also as personal name Swein, Swe?en), from Old Norse sveinn, from Proto-Germanic *swainaz (“relative, young man, servant”), from Proto-Indo-European *swé (“oneself; separate; apart”), thus properly one's own. Cognate with Danish svend (“hireling, young man”), Norwegian svein (“lad, young man, servant”) Icelandic sveinn (“boy, lad, servant”), Swedish sven (“swain, servant”), Low German Sween, dialectal German Schwein, Old English sw?n (“swineherd, lad”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /swe?n/
• Rhymes: -e?n

Noun

swain (plural swains)

1. (obsolete) A young man or boy in service; a servant.
2. (obsolete) A knight's servant; an attendant.
3. (archaic) A country labourer; a countryman, a rustic.
4. (poetic) A rural lover; a male sweetheart in a pastoral setting.
   • 2016 Zack Woods (as Donald "Jared" Dunn), "Founder Friendly", Silicon Valley episode 19

     You're the belle of the ball, and these are all your swains, hoping for a glimpse of ankle.

Derived terms

• boatswain
• coxswain
• swaining
• swainling

Translations

Anagrams

• Sawin, Wains, inaws, iwans, saw in, wains

English

Alternative forms

• nymphe (rare or archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English nimphe, from French nimphe, from Latin nympha (“nymph, bride”), from Ancient Greek ????? (númph?, “bride”). Doublet of nympha.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?n?mf/

Noun

nymph (plural nymphs or nymphæ)

1. (Greek, Roman) Any female nature spirit associated with water, forests, grotto, wind, etc.
2. A young girl, especially one who is attractive, beautiful or graceful.

   Synonyms: lolita, nymphet, nymphette

3. (entomology) The larva of certain insects.

   Synonyms: instar, naiad

4. (entomology) Any of various butterflies of the family Nymphalidae.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

• alseid, auloniad, crinaeae, limnade, meliae, napaeae, oceanids, oreads, pegaeae
• dryads, hamadryads, naiads, nereids
• Hesperides