Where does “жена” come from?
жена (Old East Slavic) comes from Proto-Slavic žena, from Proto-Balto-Slavic génāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European gʷḗn, from Proto-Indo-European gʷen- — woman.
жена (Old East Slavic): woman, wife
Ancestry of “жена”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Slavic | žena | woman; wife |
| 2 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | génāˀ | woman |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷḗn | woman |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷen- | woman |
Words derived from “жена”