An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Schwarte

by Friedrich Kluge

Schwarte, t., ‘thick, hard skin; rind, bark, from Middle High German swarte, swart, feminine, ‘hairy scalp, hairy or feathered skin’ (Old High German *swarta, feminine, is by chance not recorded). A common Teutonic word; compare Dutch zwoord, ‘bacon rind,’ Old Frisian swarde, ‘scalp,’ Anglo-Saxon sweard, Middle English sward, ‘skin,’ Old Icelandic svǫrðr, ’scalp, skin, whale-hide’; Gothic *swardus, feminine, ‘scalp.’ Origin obscure. Note the evolution in meaning of English sward, Scandinavian jarðan-svǫrðr, gras-svǫrðr, Danish jord-, grönswœrd.