The term swoon originated from the Old English verb swogan and has evolved over time. It was first documented in a 1290 manuscript as suoweningue, with various spellings like swoʒene, swowene, swoune, and swowne. In the fifteenth century, a simplified version without the second approximant sound emerged, and by the nineteenth century, the figurative, romantic meaning of the word was established. The root of the term can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic swogana, which means “make a sound”. Although the exact origin is uncertain, related words in other Germanic languages suggest connections to “sigh” and “choke”, all relating to various noises.
