Compare archaic noun swim "a dizziness, swoon, trance," from Middle English swime "unconscious state," from Old English swima "unconsciousness." The notion appears to be "a swimming in the head." Chaucer has swimbel "giddy motion. The sense of "reel or move unsteadily" is recorded by 1670s in reference to objects seen by a dizzy person in reference to the head or brain, "be affected by dizziness, have a giddy sensation," from 1702. The figurative use of swim with (or against) the tide is by 1590s. Figurative phrase sink or swim is attested from early 15c. The transitive sense of "cross by swimming" is from 1590s. The root sometimes is said to be restricted to Germanic, but according to OED possible cognates are Welsh chwyf "motion," Old Irish do-sennaim "I hunt," Lithuanian sundyti "to chase." The more common Indo-European root is *sna. Middle English swimmen, from Old English swimman, of a person, fish, bird, "to move in the water, float on the water, move in water by natural means of locomotion" (class III strong verb past tense swamm, past participle swummen), from Proto-Germanic *swimjan (source also of Old Saxon and Old High German swimman, Old Norse svimma, Dutch zwemmen, German schwimmen), from PIE root *swem- "to be in motion." To sink without a trace is World War I military jargon, translating German spurlos versenkt. the adjectival phrase sink or swim is from 1660s. Of land, "dip downward gradually," by 1726.Ĭontrasted with swim (v.) since 14c. as "fall or fail as from weakness or under a heavy blow." From 1590s as "decrease, be reduced in value, amount, etc." Of the sun, moon, etc., "to set," c. as "be reduced to a lower or worse state " late 14c. as "make a penetrating impression on the mind." Related: Sank sunk sinking.įrom early 14c. Understanding the meaning of time sink is. It refers to those activities that tend to distract us or eat away at our time, ultimately leading to a decrease in productivity. The sense of "go in, penetrate" (of a blow, a weapon, etc.) is from c. Time sink is a phrase commonly used to describe activities or tasks that consume a significant amount of time without producing any meaningful or productive outcomes. The transitive use "force or drag gradually downward" (attested from late 12c.) supplanted Middle English sench (compare drink/ drench) which died out 14c. Middle English sinken, from Old English sincan (intransitive) "become submerged, go under, subside" (past tense sanc, past participle suncen), from Proto-Germanic *senkwan (source also of Old Saxon sinkan, Old Norse sökkva, Middle Dutch sinken, Dutch zinken, Old High German sinkan, German sinken, Gothic sigqan), from PIE root *sengw- "to sink."
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