An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/schweifen

by Friedrich Kluge

schweifen, vb., ‘to roam, rove, wander,’ from MidHG. sweifen, OHG. sweifan, ‘to cause to rotate, swing, wind’; comp. AS. swâpan, ‘to swing, sweep, tear,’ E. to swoop, to sweep, to which AS. and E. swift, Du. zweep, and LG. swipe, ‘whip,’ are allied.