swamp

== English == === Alternative forms === swomp (obsolete) === Etymology === Early attestations (starting in 1624) are from North America, but the term was probably in local use in Britain earlier. The etymology is not entirely certain; it is probably a fusion of Middle English swam (“swamp, muddy pool, bog, marsh”, also “fungus, mushroom”) — from Old English swamm (“mushroom, fungus, sponge”), from Proto-West Germanic *swamm, from Proto-Germanic *swambaz, *swammaz — and Middle English sompe (“marsh, morass”), from either Middle Dutch somp, sump (“marsh, swamp”) or Middle Low German sump (“marsh, swamp”) (from Old Saxon *sump (“swamp, marsh”)), both from Proto-West Germanic *sump, from Proto-Germanic *sumpaz. *Swambaz, *swammaz and *sumpaz are likely related to each other, but it is unclear whether they are of Indo-European origin or are substrate words or wanderworts. The word has alternatively been suggested to be a borrowing from Dutch zwamp (“swamp, marsh, fen”). Other cognates include Middle Low German swamp (“sponge, mushroom”), Dutch zomp (“swamp, lake, marshy place”), German Low German Sump (“swamp, bog, marsh”), German Sumpf (“swamp”), Swedish sump (“swamp”). Related also to Dutch zwam (“fungus, punk, tinder”), German Schwamm (“mushroom, fungus, sponge”), Swedish svamp (“mushroom, fungus, sponge”), Icelandic svampur, sveppur (“fungus”), Gothic 𐍃𐍅𐌿𐌼𐍃𐌻 (swumsl, “a ditch”). Related to sump, swim. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈswɒmp/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈswɑmp/ Rhymes: -ɒmp Hyphenation: swamp === Noun === swamp (plural swamps) An area of wet (water-saturated), spongy (soft) land, often with trees, generally a rich ecosystem for certain plants and animals but ill-suited for many agricultural purposes. (A type of wetland. Compare marsh, bog, fen.) 1624, John Smith, Virginia IV., page 163: Some small Marshes and Swamps there are, but more profitable than hurtfull. (figurative) A place or situation that is foul or where progress is difficult. (US, politics) The alleged corruption, cronyism, inefficiency, and entrenched interests in the federal government, especially in Washington, DC. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== Sranan Tongo: swampuAukan: swampuSaramaccan: sũã́pu→ Caribbean Hindustani: sampu → Dutch: zwamp ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== bog (bogland), bogmire marsh (marshland) moor (moorland) fen (fenland) bayou, carr (carrland), everglade (glade), lagg, mangal, mangrove, mire (mireland), morass, moss (UK) (mossland), muskeg (Canada, US), pakihi (NZ), peat bog, peatland, petary, pocosin, quag/quagmire, slack, slough (sloughland), slue, sog, swale, swampland, syrt/syrtis (archaic), wash, wetland salt marsh, salina, salting === Verb === swamp (third-person singular simple present swamps, present participle swamping, simple past and past participle swamped) To drench or fill with water. (figurative) To overwhelm; to make too busy, or overrun the capacity of. (figurative) To plunge into difficulties and perils; to overwhelm; to ruin; to wreck. (Appalachia) To clear (a road or an area) of brush, particularly so as to create a path for loggers to be able to access trees. 1976, Alicia Tyler, “Doin' a man's work”: Logging in central and southern counties between 1918 and 1930, page 26: I guess I've done it all. Drove teams, drove grabs (device used to fasten a trail of logs together), swamped (cleared the ground of underbrush and fallen trees for road construction). ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === === Anagrams === wamps