Over the years since I began learning English some 60+ years ago, a question of the origin of a Chinese and English word puzzled me. I have made informal inquiries with friends I know without getting a satisfactory answer. A quick but not thorough search via Google recently also without success. So, I post it here with the hope that someone knows the answer.

The English word “SWALLOW” when acting as a verb means “take in through the throat” and when acting as a noun means “a migratory bird”. Now the Chinese word “嚥” and “燕” has exactly the same meanings (let us ignore the small difference of the addition of the root “口” on the left hand side of the Chinese verb.)

Is this a coincidence? Or have some deeper historical connections? Will a Chinese/English Etymologist enlighten me?