sway

英 [sweɪ] 美 [swe]

1. s (蛇) + way => 蛇走路的方式 => 摇摆。
2. 字母 S 本身就像一条弯弯曲曲令人感到恐怖、恶心的蛇。
3. “使歪” ---- 使其歪来歪去 →摇摆

sway (v.): early 14c., "move, go, go quickly; move (something) along, carry," probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse sveigja "to bend, swing, give way," Old Danish svegja, perhaps merged with an unrecorded Old English cognate. The whole group might be related to swag (v.) and swing (v.).

The sense of "swing, waver, move in a swaying or sweeping motion" is from late 14c. Meaning "move from side to side" is from c. 1500; transitive sense "cause to move from side to side" is from 1550s (according to OED, not common before 19c.). Figurative sense "cause to be directed toward one side, prejudice" is from 1590s. Related: Swayed; swaying.
sway (n.): c. 1300, "movement from side to side," from sway (v.). The meaning "controlling influence" (as in to be under the sway of) is from 1510s, from a transitive sense of the verb in Dutch and other languages.

1. A hard-core group of right-wing senators had hoped to sway their colleagues.: 一群骨干右翼参议员曾企图左右自己的同僚。

2. South of the Usk, a completely different approach seems to hold sway.: 阿斯克以南盛行的似乎是一种完全不同的方式。

3. In medieval times the church held sway over many countries.: 在中世纪,教会支配着许多国家.

4. His speech failed to sway his colleagues into supporting the plan.: 他的一番话没能使他的同事支持这项计划.