Revised as of
12 July 2023
This is one of my own bête noires. Each time I encounter the word, I must visit its page at KD Did It to make sure I’m using the right version — there are a number of words that adding an e at the end turns it into a verb.
In this case, swath and swathe are alternative spellings for each other, so it doesn’t really matter. Just be consistent in using the version you choose.
Strictly speaking, a swath is a noun and leaves or creates a strip of something or nothing while a swathe is both noun and verb that envelops, wraps what it encounters.
Keep in mind that the plural for swath can be either swaths or swathes.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
If you found this post on “Swath versus Swathe” interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.
| Swath | Swathe |
|---|---|
USS Sabalo by Wwoods at en.wikipedia is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. — The ship’s wake is cutting a wide swath through the Pacific. |
Sling and Swathe is Baedr-9439‘s own work is under the CC0 1.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun
Plural: swaths, swathes Alternative spelling for: swathe |
Noun 1; Verb, transitive 2
Plural for the noun: swathes Third person present verb: swathes Alternative spelling for: swath |
| A row or line of grass, grain, or other crop as it lies when mown or reaped
A strip left clear by the passage of a mowing machine or scythe A broad strip or area of something [Figurative] A significant swath of popular opinion |
Noun: A piece or strip of material in which something is wrapped
An enveloping medium To enfold or constrict Verb: Wrap in several layers of fabric [Fashion] To wrap a band, garment, etc, around, especially so as to cover completely
|
| Examples: | |
| She cut a swath through the town.
The combine had cut a deep swath around the border of the fields. President Obama has lost swathes of support with the rollout of Obamacare. Vast swaths of countryside were destroyed in the war. Swathes of the countryside may never recover from that nuclear explosion. Occasionally we saw wide swathes of crushed forest where elephants had passed through, leaving giant piles of dung. |
Noun: She was covered in a swathe of ruffles. There’s a whole swathe of useful advice I could offer. Verb: She was swathed in red. Her neck was swathed in jewels. Her head was swathed in a towel. |
| History of the Word: | |
| Old English swæth, swathu meaning track or trace and related to the Dutch zwad(e) and the German Schwade.
In Middle English, the term denoted a measure of the width of grassland, probably reckoned by a sweep of the mower’s scythe. |
Late Old English:
|
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Swath versus Swathe
Apple Dictionary.com
Your Dictionary.com: swathe
Pinterest Photo Credits
Mummy Louvre by Zubro is under the GNU or CC BY-SA 3.0 license and interposed on top of Lucy Pringle Aerial Shot of Pi Crop Circle by sirk_nala, which is under the CC BY 3.0 license. Both are via Wikimedia Commons.
