Sway v.

Forms: 4 sweȝe, 4–5 swye, 4–6 sweye, 4–7 (8–9 dial.) swey, (6 sweie, swaye, 7–9 sweigh, 8–9 Sc. swee), 6– sway; 3rd sing. 6 swayth, swaieth, sweath; pr. pple. 6. Sc. sweand; pa. t. (str.) 4 sweȝe, swey, swe; pa. t. and pple. 4 sweȝed, sweyed, 4–5 swyed, 5 sweyd, sweyt, 6–7 swaid(e, swayd, swaied, 7 swai’d, sued (?), 7– swayed. [Properly two distinct words. (1) ME. sweȝe (14th c.), conjugated strong and weak, also swye, to go, move (cf. ME. forsueie to go astray), may have been a native word orig. of the OE. type *sweʓan, (3 pres. ind. *swiʓeþ), pa. t. *swæʓ, parallel to OE. weʓan to move, carry, WEIGH, (wiʓeþ), wæʓ, ME. weȝe, occas. wye, pa. t. weȝe, wei(ȝ), wei(e)de. (Cf. also the parallelism of swag and wag, sweight and weight.) Formally, sweʓe might also be ad. ON. sveigja to bend (a bow), swing (a distaff), etc., give way, yield (cf. sveigr switch, twig), causative vb. f. svig-, in svig bend, curve, svigi switch, svigna to give way; but the ME. and ON. verbs do not agree in sense. (2) The modern sway dates only from c. 1500, and agrees in form and sense with, and appears to be ad., LG. swâjen to be moved hither and thither by the wind (whence Sw. svaja to swing, Da. svaie to move to and fro, G. schwaien, schweien), Du. zwaaien to swing, wave, walk totteringly, slant, bevel.]

  I.  † 1. intr. To go, move. Obs.

13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., B. 87. Swyerez þat swyftly swyed on blonkez. Ibid., C. 72. Now sweȝe me þider swyftly & say me þis arende. Ibid., 151. Þe sayl sweyed on þe see.

13[?].  Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1429. Al in a semblé sweyed to-geder.

a. 1400[?].  Morte Arth., 57. [He] Sweys in-to Swaldye wiþ his snelle houndes.

  † b.  Often with down: To go down, fall (lit. and fig.); spec. to fall or sink into a swoon. Obs.

13[?].  Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1796. Sykande ho sweȝe doun, & semly hym kyssed.

13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., B. 956. Þe rayn rueled adoun … Of felle flaunkes of fyr … Swe aboute sodamas. Ibid., C. 429. Þe soun of oure souerayn þen swey in his ere.

a. 1400[?].  Morte Arth., 1467. So many sweys in swoghe swounande att ones! Ibid., 3676. With þe swynge of þe swerde sweys þe mastys.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 9454. Parys … Sweyt into swym, as he swelt wold.

a. 1400–50.  Wars Alex., 2057 (Dublin). Þe power out of perse … Sweyd sleghtly downe slayn of þair blonkes.

c. 1415.  Crowned King, 29. Swythe y swyed in a sweem þat y swet after.

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, II. x. 86. Quhar thir towris thou seis doun fall and sweye, And stane fra stane doun bet.

1533.  Bellenden, Livy, IV. xv. (S.T.S.), II. 103. Þe hewmondis of romanis semyt as þai war sweyand doun.

  † c.  causative. To cause to go or move; to drive. Obs. rare.

13[?].  E. E. Allit. P., C. 236. Styffe stremes … Þat drof hem dryȝlych adoun þe depe to serue, Tyl a swetter ful swyþe hem sweȝed to bonk.

  II.  2. intr. To move or swing first to one side and then to the other, as a flexible or pivoted object: often amplified by phr., e.g., backwards and forwards, to and fro, from side to side.

  Not common before the 19th century.

c. 1500.  Bk. Mayd Emlyn, 334, in Hazl., E. P. P., IV. 94. An halfepeny halter made hym fast, And therin he swayes.

1555.  Eden, Decades (Arb.), 120. Yet are they [sc. the branches of the trees] tossed therewith, and swaye sumwhat from syde to syde.

1797.  S. & Ht. Lee, Canterb. T. (1799), I. 375. The lamp swayed with the blast.

1859.  Tennyson, Marr. Geraint, 171. A purple scarf, at either end whereof There swung an apple of the purest gold, Sway’d round about him as he gallop’d up.

1863.  Mrs. Oliphant, Salem Chapel, x. That stick over which his tall person swayed with fashionable languor.

1874.  L. Stephen, Hours in Libr. (1892), II. ii. 51. The dreary estuary, where the slow tide sways backwards and forwards.

  b.  fig. To vacillate. rare.

1563.  Winȝet, trans. Vincent. Lirin., xv. Wks. (S.T.S.), II. 35. Thai, sweand and swounand betuix thame twa, determinatis nocht quhat wes specialie erast to be chosin be thame.

1825.  Jamieson, Swee,… to be irresolute.

1871.  B. Taylor, Faust (1875), II. I. i. 5. When the crowd sways, unbelieving.

  3.  trans. To cause to move backward and forward or from side to side (cf. 2). (See also 13.)

  Not common before the 19th century.

1555.  Eden, Decades (Arb.), 152. Swayinge her bodye twyse or thryse too and fro.

1667.  Milton, P. L., IV. 983. As when a field Of Ceres ripe for harvest waving bends Her bearded Grove of ears, which way the wind Swayes them.

1717.  Prior, Alma, II. 215. Have you not seen a Baker’s Maid Between two equal Panniers sway’d?

1784.  Cowper, Task, VI. 73. The roof,… moveable through all its length As the wind sways it.

1819.  Shelley, Julian, 276. The ooze and wind Rushed through an open casement, and did sway His hair.

1865.  Trollope, Belton Est., xii. 137. He swayed himself backwards and forwards in his chair, bewailing his own condition.

1902.  R. Bagot, Donna Diana, xv. 178. When the cool breeze sweeps up from the sea, gently swaying the tops of the cypress-trees.

  b.  fig.

a. 1586.  Sidney, Arcadia, II. xxix. (1912), 330. He was swayed withall … as everie winde of passions puffed him.

1592.  Wyrley, Armorie, Ld. Chandos, 29. Some turning fate, Which like wild whirlwind all our dooings sweath.

1596.  Shaks., Merch. V., IV. i. 51. Affection, Maisters [? = Mistress] of passion, swayes it to the moode Of what it likes or loaths.

a. 1650.  May, Old Couple, II. i. (1658), C 2. He has got A great hand over her, and swayes her conscience which way he list.

1866.  G. Macdonald, Ann. Q. Neighb., xv. (1878), 307. I was swayed to and fro by the motions of a spiritual power.

1870.  Edin. Rev., Oct., 388. Dr. Newman … tells us … with the utmost frankness, the persons who … swayed his beliefs hither and thither.

  4.  intr. To bend or move to one side, or downwards, as by excess of weight or pressure; to incline, lean, swerve.

  In mod. quots. only a contextual use of 2.

1577.  Holinshed, Chron., II. 1624/1. The left side of the enimies … was … compelled to sway a good way backe, and giue grounde largely.

1593.  Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., II. v. 5.

1610.  Boys, Wks. (1622), 223. The tree falleth as it groweth … Learne then in growing to sway right.

1624.  Bacon, Consid. War w. Spain, Wks. 1879, I. 542/1. In these personal respects, the balance sways on our part.

1631.  Gouge, God’s Arrows, III. § 48. 273. Aaron and Hur … kept his hands that they could not sway aside one way or other.

1670–1.  Narborough, Jrnl., in Acc. Sev. Late Voy., I. (1694), 166. Could not get the Ship off, for the Water did Ebb, and the Ship Sued above 3 Foot.

1860.  Tyndall, Glac., I. xxvii. 196. The carriage swayed towards the precipitous road side.

1881.  ‘Rita,’ My Lady Coquette, xv. She sways towards him like a reed.

  † b.  transf. To have a certain direction in movement; to move. Obs.

1597.  Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., IV. i. 24. Let vs sway-on, and face them in the field. Ibid. (1601), Twel. N., II. iv. 32. So swayes she leuell in her husbands heart. Ibid. (1605), Macb., V. iii. 9. The minde I sway by, and the heart I beare, Shall neuer sagge with doubt, nor shake with feare.

1650.  W. D., trans. Comenius’ Gate Lat. Unl., § 233. Man’s estate swaieth (is going downwards) [L. vergit] towards a declining age.

  c.  To move against in a hostile manner. rare.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., II. viii. 46. How euer may Thy cursed hand so cruelly haue swayd Against that knight. Ibid., x. 49. Yet oft the Briton kings against them [sc. the Romans] strongly swayd.

1603.  Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 195. A man would have thought two rough seas had met together swaying one against the other.

1871.  Dixon, Tower, III. xxvi. 284. The Duke had grown too great to live. All passions swayed against him.

  5.  trans. To cause to incline or hang down on one side, as from excess of weight; dial. to weigh or press down; also, to cause to swerve.

1570.  Buchanan, Chamæleon, Wks. (S.T.S.), 45. The said Chamæleon … changeing hew as the quene sweyit ye ballance of hir mynd.

1625.  Bacon, Ess., Simulation (Arb.), 509. To keepe an indifferent carriage, betweene both, and to be Secret, without Swaying the Ballance, on either side.

1663.  Charleton, Chor. Gigant., 27. As that no force of wind or tempest … by diminishing the gravity on one side, might incline or sway them to sink down on the other.

1664.  Power, Exp. Philos., II. 145. The greater weight of water in the pendent Leg [of the Syphon] … sways down that in the shorter, as in a pair of Skales.

1678.  Butler, Hud., III. II. 1368. As Bowls run true, by being made Of purpose false, and to be sway’d.

1797.  Holcroft, trans. Stolberg’s Trav. (ed. 2), II. xliii. 81. The …tower of Pisa … is swayed fifteen feet from the centre.

1846.  Holtzapffel, Turning, II. 848. They have learned to avoid swaying down the file at either extreme.

1856.  Kane, Arctic Expl., II. xiv. 143. These swayed the dogs from their course.

1857.  Whittier, Poems, Funeral Tree Sokokis, Argt. The surviving Indians ‘swayed’ or bent down a young tree until its roots were upturned.

  absol.  1624.  Bedell, Lett., v. 84. A little weight is able to sway much, where the beame it self is false.

  † b.  To strain (the back of a horse): see SWAY-BACKED, SWAYED 1. Obs. rare.

1611.  Cotgr., Esflanquer, to sway in the backe.

1639.  T. de Grey, Compl. Horsem., 42. He might wrinch any member, or sway his back.

  6.  a. To turn aside, divert (thoughts, feelings, etc.); to cause to swerve from a course of action.

1596.  Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., III. ii. 130. Heauen forgiue them, that so much haue sway’d Your Majesties good thoughts away from me.

1616.  Marlowe’s Faustus, IV. ii. (1631), F j. Let vs sway [ed. 1624 stay] thy thoughts, From this attempt.

1673.  Cave, Prim. Chr., II. vi. 135. No dangers could then sway good men from doing of their duty.

1679.  J. Goodman, Penit. Pard., I. iii. (1713), 69. An huge advantage may sway him a little aside.

1822.  B. W. Procter, Ludovico Sforza, ii. No ill has happened … to sway Your promise from me?

1874.  Green, Short Hist., vi. § 6. 335. No touch either of love or hate swayed him from his course.

  † b.  To influence in a specified direction; to induce to do something. Obs.

1625.  Impeachm. Dk. Buckhm. (Camden), 292. To sweigh the people to accept the King’s offers.

1634.  Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 63. He answered, his businesse swayed him to another end.

1667.  Milton, P. L., VIII. 635. Least Passion sway Thy Judgement to do aught, which else free Will Would not admit.

1712.  Addison, Spect., No. 357, ¶ 14. The Part of Eve … is no less … apt to sway the Reader in her Favour.

a. 1720.  Sewel, Hist. Quakers (1795), II. VII. 83. He so swayed the master that at last he agreed.

1807.  Wordsw., White Doe, VI. 48. Even that thought, Exciting self-suspicion strong, Swayed the brave man to his wrong.

  † c.  To give a bias to. Obs.

1593.  Bacon, Lett. to Burghley, April. I spake simply and only to satisfy my conscience, and not with any advantage, or policy to sway the cause.

  † 7.  intr. To incline or be diverted in judgment or opinion; to swerve from a path or line of conduct; to lean (towards a side or party). Obs.

1556.  J. Heywood, Spider & F., xxv. 94. We sweie From the streight lyne of iustice.

1581.  Lambarde, Eiren., II. iv. (1588), 166. The common opinion swayeth to the other side.

1594.  R. Carew, Huarte’s Exam. Wits, iii. (1596), 24. With which of these opinions the truth swaieth, time serueth not now to discusse.

1599.  Shaks., Hen. V., I. i. 73. He seemes indifferent: Or rather swaying more vpon our part, Then cherishing th’ exhibiters against vs.

1659.  W. Guthrie, Chr. Gt. Interest (1724), 80. This imports a Sort of Impropriation: For the Heart, pleasing that Device, in so far swayeth towards it. Ibid., Explic. Sc. Words, To sway or swey towards a Thing, is to bend towards it.

  8.  trans. To wield as an emblem of sovereignty or authority; esp. in phr. to sway the scepter, † the sword (also, by extension, † the diadem, † the rule), to bear rule.

  Cf. Du. den schepter zwaaien.

1575.  Gascoigne, Weedes, In Praise of Gentlewoman, 5. Golden Marcus he, that swaide the Romaine sword. Ibid. (1576), Steele Gl. (Arb.), 61. You should not trust, lieftenaunts in your rome, And let them sway, the scepter of your charge.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., II. x. 20. Madan was young, vnmeet the rule to sway.

1590.  Greene, Orl. Fur., Wks. (Rtldg.), 99/1. It fits me not to sway the diadem.

1593.  Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., III. iii. 76. Though Vsurpers sway the rule a while.

1671.  Milton, P. R., III. 405. If I mean to raign David’s true heir, and his full Scepter sway.

1750.  Gray, Elegy, 47. Hands, that the rod of empire might have sway’d.

a. 1828.  H. Neele, Lit. Rem. (1829), 26. Had Charles I. continued to sway the English sceptre.

  b.  transf. To wield (an implement or instrument). poet.

c. 1600.  Shaks., Sonn., cxxviii. When thou gently sway’st, The wiry concord that mine eare confounds.

1810.  Scott, Lady of L., II. vii. This harp, which erst Saint Modan swayed.

1867.  Morris, Jason, VI. 239. Erginous now, Great Neptune’s so the brass-bound tiller swayed.

  9.  To rule, govern, as a sovereign. Chiefly poet.

1595.  Shaks., John, I. i. 13. To lay aside the sword Which swaies vsurpingly these seuerall titles. Ibid., II. i. 344. By this hand I sweare That swayes the earth this Climate ouerlookes.

1613.  Purchas, Pilgrimage, VI. viii. 502. The Great Turke swayeth with his Ottoman Scepter … this Kingdome of Tunis, and all Africa, from Bellis de Gomera to the Redde Sea.

1634.  Milton, Comus, 825. A gentle Nymph … That with moist curb sways the smooth Severn stream.

1709.  Watts, Hymn, ‘The Lord! how fearful is his Name,’ vi. Now let the Lord for ever reign, And sway us as he will.

1812.  Byron, Ch. Har., II. xlvii. With a bloody hand He sways a nation, turbulent and bold.

1896.  A. Austin, Eng. Darling, I. i. Buhred hath fled the land By him for two-and-twenty winters swayed.

  b.  transf. To have the command or control of; to control, direct.

1587.  Golding, De Mornay, xxiv. (1592), 366. There must be some pretie speech of Fortune, which swayth the battels. As for God … not one word.

1590.  Shaks., Mids. N., I. i. 193. Teach me … with what art You sway the motion of Demetrius hart. Ibid., II. ii. 115. The will of man is by his reason sway’d.

1665.  Boyle, Occas. Refl., VI. iii. (1848), 352. Custom has much a larger Empire than men seem to be aware of, since whole Nations are wholly swai’d by it.

1791.  Burke, Corr. (1844), III. 268. I have been long persuaded, that those in power here, instead of governing their ministers at foreign courts, are entirely swayed by them.

1874.  Geo. Eliot, Coll. Breakf.-P., 412. A sword … With edge so constant-threatening as to sway All greed and lust by terror.

  10.  intr. (occas. to sway it.) To rule; to hold sway. Also fig.

1565.  J. Phillip, Patient Grissell, Pref. (Malone Soc.), 17. Let Grissills Pacience swaye in you.

1586.  A. Day, Engl. Secretary, I. (1625), 16. Yours while life swaieth within me.

1591.  Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., III. ii. 135. A gentler Heart did neuer sway in Court.

1615.  Rowlands, Melanch. Knight, 23. For shee’s a Gentlewoman (though I say it) That doth deserue to domineere and sway it.

1633.  Bp. Hall, Hard Texts, 1 Cor. vi. 3. Those evill and apostate spirits, which doe now sway so much in the world.

1667.  Milton, P. L., X. 376. There let him still Victor sway, As Battel hath adjudg’d.

1711.  in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 114. A tyrant is he … who swayes for his own onely pleasure.

1725.  Pope, Odyss., III. 401. Lawless feasters in thy palace sway.

1853.  J. Hunt, Spir. Songs, ‘Let all the world rejoice,’ ii. He rules by sea and land, O’er boundless realms he sways.

1886.  A. T. Pierson, Crisis of Missions, 117. Turkey … still sways over one million square miles.

  † 11.  To have a preponderating weight or influence, prevail. Obs.

  This use combines senses 4 and 10.

1586.  A. Day, Engl. Secretary, I. (1625), 126. His counsell … swaieth not … in our mindes, so much as it might haue done with many others.

1610.  Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 586. Wee may understand … that gold swaied much yea in Church matters, and among Church-men.

1647.  N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., I. lxx. (1739), 187. Nor did the King’s Proclamation sway much this or that way.

1710.  Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. to Mr. W. Montagu, 14 Nov. If my opinion could sway, nothing should displease you.

1768.  Tucker, Lt. Nat., I. I. v. § 7. 96. To distinguish what motive actually swayed with him upon every particular occasion.

  12.  trans. To cause (a person, his actions, conduct, or thoughts) to be directed one way or another; to have weight or influence with (a person) in his decisions, etc.

1593.  G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., Wks. (Grosart), II. 46. Had not affection otherwhiles swinged their reason, where reason should haue swayed their affection.

1605.  B. Jonson, Volpone, IV. vi. Lady P. You shall sway me.

a. 1674.  Clarendon, Surv. Leviath. (1676), 108. Inclinations which sway them as much as other men.

1681.  Dryden, Abs. & Achit., I. 939. Thus long have I by Native Mercy sway’d, My Wrongs dissembl’d.

1743.  Bulkeley & Cummins, Voy. S. Seas, 31. Believing we can sway most of the Seamen on Shore.

1760–2.  Goldsm., Cit. W., lvii. Swayed in their opinions by men who … are incompetent judges.

1818.  Scott, Br. Lamm., xxxiii. The honour of an ancient family, the urgent advice of my best friends, have been in vain used to sway my resolution.

1852.  Miss Yonge, Cameos, I. xii. 76. Bribery and every atrocious influence swayed the elections.

1870.  Max Müller, Sci. Relig. (1873), 292. The authority of their names continues to sway the public at large.

1892.  Speaker, 3 Sept., 279/1. The jury … was swayed by the customary ethical code in these matters.

  13.  To swing (a weapon or implement) about; dial. to swing (something) to and fro, or from one place to another. Also intr. to swing.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., I. xi. 42. When heauie hammers on the wedge are swaid. Ibid., III. i. 66. She … Here, there, and every where, about her swayd Her wrathfull steele.

1815.  Scott, Guy M., xlvi. Meg … lifted him into the vault ‘as easily,’ said he, ‘as I could sway a Kitchen’s Atlas.’

1818.  Miss Ferrier, Marriage, xxxii. (1881), I. 320. Do I look like as if I was capable of hindering boys from sweein’ gates?

1822.  Hogg, Perils of Man, iv. I. 60. Bairns, swee that bouking o’ claes aff the fire.

1823.  Scott, Quentin D., xxi. He … caught hold of one of the chains … and … swayed himself out of the water.

1894.  P. H. Hunter, James Inwick, xiv. 170. Ye’ve been sweein on the yett for a gey while.

  14.  Naut. (usually with up). To hoist, raise (esp. a yard or topmast).

1743.  Bulkeley & Cummins, Voy. S. Seas, 15. He immediately gave Orders to sway the Fore-yard up.

1768.  J. Bryon, Narr. Patagonia (ed. 2), 15. He was going forward to get the fore-yard swayed up.

1835.  Marryat, Jacob Faithful, xi. Forward there, Jacob, and sway up the mast.

1883.  Man. Seamanship for Boys, 61. A spanker is fitted with an outhaul and brails, the gaff being kept always swayed up in place.

  b.  absol.

1836.  Marryat, Midsh. Easy, xii. How long will it be, sir, before you are ready to sway away?

1840.  R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xvii. We got a whip on the main-yard, and, hooking it to a strap round her body, swayed away.

1867.  Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Sway, or Sway away, to hoist simultaneously: particularly applied to the lower yards and top-masts, and topgallant-masts and yards. To sway away on all top-ropes, to go great lengths (colloquially).

  † c.  To weigh (anchor). Obs.

1772–84.  Cook’s Voy. (1790), IV. 1405. The gale having subsided they swayed the anchor.