Where does “spåkvinna” come from?

spåkvinna (Swedish) comes from Swedish kvinna, from Old Norse kvæna, from Old Norse kván, from Proto-Germanic kwēniz, from Proto-Indo-European gʷḗn, from Proto-Indo-European gʷen- — woman.

spåkvinna (Swedish): a woman who professes to be able to foretell future events (often through divination with tarot cards or a crystal ball or the like); a fortune-teller, a diviner

Definitions

  1. a woman who professes to be able to foretell future events (often through divination with tarot cards or a crystal ball or the like); a fortune-teller, a diviner

Ancestry of “spåkvinna”, step by step

spåkvinna traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Swedish kvinna

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishkvinnaa woman
2Old Norsekvænato make marry a woman; to take a wife
3Old Norsekvánwife
4Proto-Germanickwēnizwife
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʷḗnwoman
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʷen-woman

via Swedish spå

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishspåto foretell; to tell the future and fortune; to...
2Old Norsespáa prophecy; to prophesy, to foretell
3Proto-Germanicspahōnąto observe
4Proto-Indo-Europeanspeḱ-to see, to look, to observe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷen- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷḗn →Every word from Proto-Germanic kwēniz →