Sweorfan

According to the Old English Dictionary:

sweorfan

p. swearf, pl. swurfon; pp. sworfen To rub, scour, file:?-Swyrfþ limat, Germ. 394, 274. Corfen sworfen cut and scoured (of the preparation of a wine-vat), Exon. Th. 410, 24; Rä. 29, 4. Mín heáfod is homere geþuren sworfen feóle, 497, 18; Rä. 87, 2. Cpds. with for, omitted in their place, are added here:?-Forsweorfeþ elimat, i. mundat, Wrt. Voc. ii. 143, 1. Biþ forsworfen vel forgniden demolitur, exterminatur, 138, 63. [In later English the verb has the sense of swerve = to turn (aside):--Swerve to no side, Gow. 3, 92. Þe dint swarf, Arth. and Merl. 9369. Heo swarf to Criste migravit ad Christum, Kath. 2181. Cf. Du. zwerven to wander, rove: O. Frs. swerva to move, go. For the old English verb, cf. Goth. af-swairban to wipe out; delere; bi-swairban to wipe: O. Sax. swerban to wipe: O. H. Ger. swerban tergere, extergere, siccare: Icel. sverfa to file.]

Related words: á-, ge-sweorfan. sweorfan