v. Obs. [OE. swéʓan to make a noise, sound, move with a noise:*swōgjan (cf. Goth. gaswōgian, ufswōgjan to sigh), cogn. w. swéʓ, earlier swoeʓ sound, noise = ON. sœgr:*swōgiz, f. swōg-, root of OE. swóʓan: see SOUGH v.1 The form swey in quot. 13[?] is either an abnormal str. pa. t. or repr. OE. swéoʓ, pa. t. of swóʓan.] intr. To sound, make a sound, resound. Hence † Sweying vbl. sb., noise; ppl. a., resounding.
c. 1000. Ælfric, in Ags. Hom. (Assmann), 56. Swa þæt heora bodunge sweʓ sweʓde ʓeond eall. Ibid. (c. 1000), Hom. (Th.), I. 104. Þæs Fæder stemn of heofenum hlude sweʓde, ðus cweðende.
a. 1240. Ureisun, in O. E. Hom., I. 193. Murie dreameð engles biuoren þin onsene, Pleieð, & sweieð, & singeð bitweonen.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 429. Þe soun of oure souerayn þen swey in his ere.
14[?]. Langl., P. Pl., Prol. (ed. Wright), 10. As I lay and lenede, And loked on the watres, I slombred into a slepyng, It sweyed [v.rr. swiȝede, swyed, sownede, sweyued] so merrily.
a. 140050. Wars Alex., 5019. With a sweȝand swoȝe þis sware scho him ȝeldis.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxx. 371. Crye pece in this prese, Bidde them swage of þer sweying.