Where does “queen” come from?
Queen derives from Middle English quene, Old English cwene, Proto-Germanic kwenǭ, and Proto-Indo-European gʷḗn, originally meaning woman.
queen (English): A female monarch. Example: Queen Victoria; The...
Definitions
- A female monarch. Example: Queen Victoria; The...
Ancestry of “queen”, step by step
queen traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English quene
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | quene | A queen; Any powerful woman noble; A female... |
| 2 | Old English | cwene | a woman; inflection of cwēn: ##... |
| 3 | Old English | cwēn | queen; woman, wife, queen |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | kwāni | woman, wife |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kwēniz | wife |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷḗn | woman |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷen- | woman |
via Middle English queen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | queen | Alternative form of quene |
via Middle English cwen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | cwen | — |