Meaning

noun an equal exchange

verb exchange or give (something) in exchange for

verb move (a piece of a program) into memory, in computer science

originFrom Middle English swappen (“to swap”), originally meaning "to hurl" or "to strike", the word alludes to striking hands together when making an exchange; probably from Old English *swappian, a secondary form of Old English swāpan (“to swoop”). Cognate with German schwappen (“to slosh, slop”). Compare also Middle English swippen (“to strike, hit”), from Old English swipian (“to scourge, strike,…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0