Where does “queenly” come from?
Queenly derives from Middle English -ly, Old English -līċ, Proto-Germanic -līkaz, and Proto-Indo-European gʷḗn, ultimately combining the root for woman or queen with the suffix meaning like or resembling.
queenly (English): Having the status, rank or qualities of a queen;...
Definitions
- Having the status, rank or qualities of a queen;...
Ancestry of “queenly”, step by step
queenly 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 |