Swǽman

According to the Old English Dictionary:

swǽman

p. de To trouble, afflict, grieve. The verb occurs in this sense in later English :-- Ofte hit timeð þat tat leoueste bearn sorheð and sweameð meast his ealdren, H. M. 35, 5. Þe engles beoð isweamed, þat seoð hare suster swa sorhfulliche afallet, 17, 20. Ure Louerd ne mei uor reouðe wernen hire, ne sweamen hire heorte mid wernunge, A. R. 330, 11. Þe swemande sorȝe soȝt to his hert, Allit. Pms. 54, 563. Cf. also: His hert began to melt For veray sweme of this swemeful tale, Lydgate (cited ib. p. 199). Swemyn molestor, mereo; sweem, swemynge or mornynge tristicia, molestia, meror, Prompt. Pará-swǽman (q. v.) is found, apparently with the meaning to become troubled or grieved. To the instance given under á-swǽman may be added the following :-- Swá Sanctus Paulus cwæþ ðætte God héte ealle ða áswǽman æt heofona ríces dura, ða ðe heora cyrican forlǽtaþ God would bid all those grieve. . . , Blickl. Homl. 41, 34. Sceolde se mín þearfa áswǽman (have cause to grieve) æt ðínre handa, Wulfst. 258, 2. Se sceocca sceall áswǽman æt ús, gif wé ánrǽde beóþ on úrum geleáfan, Homl. Skt. i. 17, 203. v. swámian. swæman

Related words: 482, col. 1. In A. S. only the compound