Schwarm

German

Etymology

From Old High German swarm, from Proto-Germanic *swarmaz, from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“to buzz, hum”). Compare Dutch zwerm, English swarm, Danish sværm. The sense “crush” is a backformation from the verb schwärmen; see there.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ʃvaʁm/, [ʃʋaʁm], [ʃʋaɐ̯m], [ʃʋaːm]
  • Audio(file)

Noun

Schwarm m (genitive Schwarms or Schwarmes, plural Schwärme)

  1. swarm of insects; flock of birds; school of fish
    • 1921, Elisabeth von Heyking, Die Trommel, in Weberin Schuld, G. Grote'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 8:
      Dazu zirpten unzählige Zikaden, schillernde Libellen schossen surrend durch die Luft, […], Mücken summten in Schwärmen, […]
      In addition countless cicadas chirped, iridescent dragonflies shot buzzingly through the air, […], mosquitoes hummed in swarms, […]
  2. crush; beloved; object of one’s (unfulfilled) love

Declension
Declension of Schwarm
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der Schwarm die Schwärme
genitive eines des Schwarmes,
Schwarms		 der Schwärme
dative einem dem Schwarm,
Schwarme1		 den Schwärmen
accusative einen den Schwarm die Schwärme
1Now uncommon, see notes

Derived terms

Further reading
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