Swan if a mate dies, the remaining swan will take up with another. The number of eggs in each clutch ranges from three to eight. The English word 'swan', akin to the German "Schwan", Dutch "zwaan" and Swedish "svan", is derived from Indo-European root "*swen" (to sound, to sing). Young swans are known as "swanlings" or as "cygnets"; the latter derives via Old French "cigne" or "cisne" (diminutive suffix -"et" "little") from the Latin word "", a variant form of "cycnus" "swan", itself from the Greek "kýknos", a word of the same meaning. An adult male is a "cob", from Middle
Michael Swan (writer) Michael Swan (writer) Michael Swan is a writer of English language teaching and reference materials. He graduated from University of Oxford with a bachelor´s degree in modern foreign languages and has later gone for a postgraduate research degree. He is the founder of Swan School of English. Major publications include "Practical English Usage" and "Basic English Usage" (Oxford University Press). Other books are "Grammar", an introductory book on why languages need grammar and what they do with it and, with David Baker, "Grammar Scan" (Oxford University Press), a collection of diagnostic language tests. Michael Swan is also the co-author, with