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Consider the following excerpt from the novel Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry:

“Well, it ain’t a holiday,” Call said. “Work to do. Me and Deets will go see if we can help them boys.”

“That Newt surprised me,” Jake said. “I had it in mind he was still a spud. Is Maggie still here?”

“Maggie’s been dead several years,” Augustus said. “You wasn’t hardly over the hill when it happened.”

“I swear,” Jake said. “You mean you’ve had little Newt for all these years?”

Here, I understand it as Jake being surprised and taken aback by what Augustus says. What I don't understand is his reply, "I swear". What does that mean in this context?

If anything, Augustus saying "I swear Maggie's been dead several years," would've been easier for me to understand

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    What if he had said, "Damn! You mean you've had little New for all these years?" or Jeez! or Cripes! or Goodness gracious! or My word! Would that make it any clearer?
    – TimR
    Commented May 6 at 20:11
  • Yes, clearer. I am learning English. I will move my further submissions to ell.stackexchange
    – user502529
    Commented May 7 at 14:45
  • There are a lot of Yankees in the US who wonder what "I swear" means, exactly .
    – TimR
    Commented May 7 at 14:56

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He probably means

I swear I did not know.

or

I swear I am in complete shock to learn about her being dead for so many years.

M-W says it is used for emphasis:

informal —used for emphasis

I swear, every time I see her she's got a new boyfriend.

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  • Or Wow for short.
    – Yosef Baskin
    Commented May 6 at 21:19

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