Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Gwenhwyfar” come from?

Gwenhwyfar (English) comes from Welsh Gwenhwyfar, from English Guinevere, from Middle English Gwenyver, from Middle Welsh Gwenhwyfar, from Old Welsh Guinhuimar, from Proto-Brythonic Gwɨnnohuɨβar, from Proto-Brythonic gwɨnn, from Proto-Celtic windos — to see.

Ancestry of “Gwenhwyfar”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1WelshGwenhwyfar—
2EnglishGuinevere—
3Middle EnglishGwenyver—
4Middle WelshGwenhwyfar—
5Old WelshGuinhuimar—
6Proto-BrythonicGwɨnnohuɨβar—
7Proto-Brythonicgwɨnnwhite
8Proto-Celticwindoswhite
9Proto-Indo-Europeanwindo-—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanweyd-to see
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyd- →