Definitions For Swidden
Verb
{{en-verb}} To clear an area of land by cutting and burning.Derived terms
swiddenerNoun
SWIDDEN (plural SWIDDENs) An area of land that has been cleared by cutting the vegetation and burning it; slash and burn. }} }}Translations
Catalan: artiga, f Czech: žďár, m Dutch: swidden Estonian: ale Finnish: kaski, kytö French: brûlis, m Galician: cachada, f, roza, f, senra, f, estivada, f, poula, f, barbeito, m, cavada, f German: Brandfeld, n, Schwende, f Italian: debbio, m Spanish: artiga, f Swedish: sved, cEtymology
From English dialect, probably from {{der, en, enm, *swiden}}, swithen, past participle of {{der, en, enm, swithen, t=to burn, scorch, singe}}, from {{etyl, non, en}} svíða, t=to singe, burn. Compare also {{cog, non, sviðinn, t=burned, singed, pos=past participle}}. Alternatively, from Middle English *swithnen, *swithenen, from {{der, en, non, sviðna, t=to be burned}}, related to the verb above. More specifically, on how the Swedish scholar Karl Gustaf Izikowitz revived the old English term in modern scholarship, we may cite Guido Sprenger ("Out of the ashes: Swidden cultivation in highland Laos", in Anthropology Today 22.4, August 2006, page 9: "It’s not that Karl Gustav Izikowitz (1903-1985) invented swidden. When the Swedish anthropologist did fieldwork in northern Laos, he focused mainly on economic issues. In his view, the Rmeet (which he spelled Lamet, according to lowland Lao pronunciation) had a particularly ancient type of agriculture, characterized by the burning of a plot in the forest each year and allowing fallow periods of 10-15 years for the soil to recover. After his return to Sweden in 1938, Izikowitz recalled a similar technique practised in his home country, called svedja, meaning ‘to burn a field’ (as verb) or ‘burnt field’ (as noun). With the help of Professor Eilert Ekwall, he located an old dialectal word in English for it: swidden (Izikowitz 1979 [1951]). Both the term and the research initiated by Izikowitz have come a long way since the middle of the last century. ‘Swidden’ has entered anthropological jargon, denoting not only a practice widespread in non-state societies, but also a problem. Izikowitz’ volume Lamet appeared in 1951 and became more than a classic study of swidden techniques and rituals{{...}}"See also
burn-beat, slash and burnIs Swidden a Scrabble Word?
Words With Friends
YES
Scrabble US
YES
Scrabble UK
YES
English International (SOWPODS)
YES
Scrabble Global
YES
Enable1 Dictionary
YES
Points in Different Games
Scrabble
12
Words with Friends
13
The word Swidden is worth 12 points in Scrabble and 13 points in Words with Friends