Where does “hen” come from?
hen (Middle English) comes from Old English henn, from Proto-West Germanic *hannju, from Proto-Germanic hanjō, from Proto-Indo-European keh₂n- — to sing.
hen (Middle English): hen, chicken; female bird
Definitions
- hen, chicken; female bird
Ancestry of “hen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | henn | hen |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *hannju | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hanjō | hen |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂n- | to sing |