Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “hen” come from?

Hen derives from Middle English hen, from Old English hen, from Proto-Germanic hanjō, from Proto-Indo-European kan-, which traces through ḱe- and kaw- to the Proto-Indo-European root kaw- with the suffix -yeti.

hen (English): A female chicken , "particularly" a sexually...

Definitions

  1. A female chicken , "particularly" a sexually...

Ancestry of “hen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishhenhen, chicken; female bird
2Old Englishhennhen
3Proto-West Germanic*hannju—
4Proto-Germanichanjōhen
5Proto-Indo-Europeankeh₂n-to sing

Words derived from “hen”

  • henhouse
  • henpecked
  • hencoop
  • henwife
  • hennery
  • henroost
  • waterhen
  • henyard
  • henny
  • henpeck
  • woodhen
  • henlike
  • swamphen
  • henhood
  • henpeckery
  • sagehen
  • henpecker
  • henless
  • water hen
  • henfish
  • hen do
  • henhussy
  • sea hen
  • henfest
Every word from Proto-Indo-European keh₂n- →