Standard Lemma guide

sweven

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈswɛvən/
  • rhymes with -ɛvən

1

noun

Meaning 1

A dream.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A vision.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

Examples

  • The Golden Legend And then she said: Sir, hast thou seen the sweven that I have seen?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English sweven, from Old English swefn (“sleep, dream, vision”), from Proto-West Germanic *swefn, from Proto-Germanic *swefną, *swefnaz (“sleep”), from Proto-Indo-European *swépnos, *supnós (“dream”), from Proto-Indo-European *swep- (“to sleep”). Cognate with Dutch suf (“drowsy”), Middle High German swēb (“sleep”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål søvn (“sleep”), Faroese svøvnur (“sleep”), Icelandic svefn, svöfn (“sleep; dream”), Norwegian Nynorsk svebn, svemn, svevn, svøbn, svømn, sømn, søvn (“sleep”), Swedish sömn (“sleep”), Latin somnus (“sleep, slumber, drowsiness”), Sanskrit स्वप्न (svápna, “sleep; dream”), Ancient Greek ὕπνος (húpnos, “sleep”).