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Definition 2024

cwen

cwen

See also: cƿen

Old English

Noun

cwēn f

  1. woman
    Seo clæneste cwen ofer eorþan: the purest woman on earth.
  2. wife
  3. queen
    Aðelwulf cyng Carles dohtor hæfde to cwene: King Athelwulf took Charles's daughter as his queen.

Declension

Related terms

Descendants

See also

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *kwēniz ‎(“woman, wife”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn. Cognate with Old Saxon quān, Old Norse kvæn, Gothic 𐌵𐌴𐌽𐍃 ‎(qens). The Indo-European root is also the source of Ancient Greek γυνή ‎(gunḗ), (Greek γυναίκα ‎(gynaíka)), Proto-Slavic *žena (Old Church Slavonic жена ‎(žena), Russian жена ‎(žena)), Old Irish ben (Welsh benyw), and Albanian zonjë.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kweːn/

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