Where does “Gwenhwyfar” come from?
Gwenhwyfar (Welsh) comes from English Guinevere, from Middle English Gwenyver, from Middle Welsh Gwenhwyfar, from Old Welsh Guinhuimar, from Proto-Brythonic Gwɨnnohuɨβar, from Proto-Brythonic gwɨnn, from Proto-Celtic windos, from Proto-Indo-European windo- — to see.
Ancestry of “Gwenhwyfar”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Guinevere | The wife of King Arthur |
| 2 | Middle English | Gwenyver | Guinevere wife of King Arthur |
| 3 | Middle Welsh | Gwenhwyfar | — |
| 4 | Old Welsh | Guinhuimar | — |
| 5 | Proto-Brythonic | Gwɨnnohuɨβar | — |
| 6 | Proto-Brythonic | gwɨnn | white |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | windos | white |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | windo- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | weyd- | to see |