Swager

Recorded in neither Old English nor Middle English. Perhaps a borrowing from Dutch or Low German, but this derivation is rather unlikely due to the presence of the words like sweġer (“mother-in-law”) and swēor (“father-in-law”) in some East Midlands dialects, which are derived from attested Old English and Middle English words sweger and sweor, respectively. Ultimately derived from Proto-Germanic *swēgraz (“husband's brother”), from Proto-Indo-European *swéḱuros (“husband's father”).

From swage + -er.

* As a Dutch surname, from zwager (“son-in-law”). * As a German surname, Americanized from Schwager, with the same meaning as the Dutch word. Compare Swoger, Swagger.