Where does “queen-cage” come from?
queen-cage (English) comes from English Queen, from Middle English quene, from Old English cwene, from Old English cwēn, from Proto-West Germanic kwāni, from Proto-Germanic kwēniz, from Proto-Indo-European gʷḗn, from Proto-Indo-European gʷen- — woman.
queen-cage (English): A small case used to introduce and protect a new...
Definitions
- A small case used to introduce and protect a new...
Ancestry of “queen-cage”, step by step
queen-cage traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Queen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Queen | A title used before the personal name of a queen |
| 2 | Middle English | quene | A queen; Any powerful woman noble; A female... |
| 3 | Old English | cwene | a woman; inflection of cwēn: ##... |
| 4 | Old English | cwēn | queen; woman, wife, queen |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | kwāni | woman, wife |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | kwēniz | wife |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷḗn | woman |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷen- | woman |
via English Cage
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Cage | An enclosure made of spaced bars, normally to hold animals while providing some ventilation |
| 2 | Middle English | cage | A cage or pen; A cell, enclosure or room of... |
| 3 | Old French | cage | — |
| 4 | Latin | cavea | hollow, cavity; cage, den, enclosure, stall,... |
| 5 | Latin | cavus | hollow, concave; excavated, channeled;... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | kawos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱowh₁ós | hollow |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱewh₁- | to swell; to be strong |