a. Now dial. Forms: 4–5 swiper(e, swyper, 4–6 Sc. swepyr, 5 swypir, -yr, swepir, -er, 6 swip(p)ir, swypper, shwyper, 6– swipper. [repr. (with change of meaning) OE. swipor, ʓeswipor crafty, cunning, corresp. to OHG. swephar, sweffar, swepfar, also swef(f)ari, sweffri, in the same sense; f. swip- to move quickly, root of SWIP v. Cf. LG. swipp(e clever, ON. svipull fickle.
In ME. texts the p has been sometimes misread as þ, and this again changed to th. The Sc. variant swippert is found from the 18th c.; for the form cf. SWEERT = SWEER.]
Quick, nimble, active.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, vii. (Jacobus Minor), 514. Þane Iosaphus, as a wicht man & swepyr alswa, a swerd gat.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), III. 361. Aristotle … was sweper [some MSS. sweþer, swyþer; ed. 1527 shwyper] and swift, and cleer of witte. Ibid. (1398), Barth. De P. R., XI. xxi. (Tollem. MS.). Þe swalowe is … swiper and most swyfte of flyȝte.
c. 1412. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 5221. Swypir [v.r. swepir] feendly hand with strook vengeable.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 484/1. Swypyr, or delyvyr, agilis.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VI. v. 20. Als fery and als swipper as a page.
1674. Ray, N. C. Words, 47. Swipper, nimble, quick.
1867. Waugh, Old Cronies, viii. They were a lot o’ th swipper’st, stark’est, lads in Christendom, wur th’ Lancashire Volunteers.
Hence † Swipperly adv., quickly, nimbly.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 1128. Bot ȝit the kynge sweperly fulle swythe he by-swenkez. Ibid., 1465. They … Swappez doune ffulle sweperlye swelltande knyghtez.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., 55 (Irel. MS.). The squyppand watur, that squyperly [printed squytherly; cf. squeturly l. 540 infra] squoes.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IX. ii. 34. Furth fleand swepyrly.
