Also 6 Sc. Suethin, Suadene, 7 Swethen, Sc. Swaden. [a. MLG., MDu. Sweden (Du. Zweden), in HG. Schweden, prob. dat. pl. of the national name Swede SWEDE, q.v. In F. Suède.
In OE. the country was named Swéoland and Swéo-, Swíoríce (= ON. Svíaríki, Sw. Sverige); these names did not survive.
In AF. of the 12th and 13th c. (e.g., Gaimar) the form is Suane, Swane (with adj. Suaneis). In Sc. Swane, Swaine, occurs in the 16th c. (e.g., 1559 Burgh Rec. Peebles, 1872, 262); cf. Gaelic Suain.
Forms with th appear in English in the 14th c., e.g., Sweþerlond (? for Sweþelond) in Trevisa’s Higden, Swetherwyke in Morte Arthure, an error for Swetheryk, which, with Swethrik, occurs in Wyntoun’s Chron.; Swadrik of the Bannatyne MS. belongs to the same series. The simple Swethe is used in Mirrour of Our Ladye (15th c.). From the 16th to the 18th c. typical forms are Swethland, Swed(e)land, Sweedland.
Forms approximating to the present form appear in Sc. in the 16th c., as Suethin, Suadene, Swadne. These forms seem to have been felt appropriate for adjectival uses, and in early 17th c. English usage Sweden appears as the name of the people, Swedeland being the name of the country.]
1. The name of one of the Scandinavian countries; † used attrib., spec. in Sweden boards (Sc.).
1503. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., II. 273. Item, for ijc fiue score viij Suethin burdis, ilk pece xij d.
1543. Aberd. Reg., XVIII. (Jam.). Tymmer skowis, Suadene buirdis, guird stringis and boddumis.
1612. Bk. Rates, in Halyburton’s Ledger (1867), 290. Swaden boordes of the great sort the hundreth … xxiiii li. Ibid., 316. Spanish Spruce and Swadens Irne the stane weght thairof … xiiis. iiiid.
1665. Brathwait, Comm. Two Tales, 164. This Mother-Midnight, shap’d like a Sweden Hag.
† 2. = SWEDE 1.
1600. W. Watson, Decacordon (1602), 276. The Spaniard, the Polonian, the Sweden.
1612. in Eng. Hist. Rev., April (1914), 249. Another part [of their country is] usurped … by the Swedens. Ibid., 255. The Swethen hath likewise abused them.
