Where does “queen” come from?

queen (Middle English) comes 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 (Middle English): Alternative form of quene

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of quene

Ancestry of “queen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishcwēnqueen; woman, wife, queen
2Proto-West Germanickwāniwoman, wife
3Proto-Germanickwēnizwife
4Proto-Indo-Europeangʷḗnwoman
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʷen-woman

Words derived from “queen”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷen- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷḗn →Every word from Proto-Germanic kwēniz →