schwankten

Schwankten is the simple past tense (Präteritum) of the German verb schwanken, meaning to swing, sway, teeter, or to waver. It can describe a physical oscillation, as in trees or lamps moving in the wind, or a figurative fluctuation, such as opinions or prices.

In standard German, schwankten is used with plural subjects. The corresponding singular past forms are schwankte (ich, er/sie/es) and schwanktest (du). The past participle of schwanken is geschwankt, and the present participle is schwankend. The noun form Schwankung derives from the same root and refers to fluctuation or oscillation.

Examples of usage include: Die Äste schwankten im Sturm. (The branches swayed in the storm.) Die Preise schwankten in der Woche. (The prices fluctuated during the week.) Figurative uses, such as politische Meinungen, können ebenfalls schwanken, indicating uncertainty or changeable positions.

Etymology and related terms: schwanken descends from older Germanic roots associated with movement and instability, and it shares semantic focus with related German verbs like wanken and schaukeln, which describe unsteady motion or rocking. The term appears predominantly in narrative or descriptive prose, particularly in historical or journalistic contexts, to convey ongoing or past instability.

See also: wanken, schaukeln, Schwankung, Geschwankt.