Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *kwenǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn. Cognates with Balto-Slavic *genāˀ, Old Saxon cwena, Dutch kween ‘barren cow’, Old High German quena, Old Norse kvenna (Swedish kvinna), Gothic 𐌵𐌹𐌽𐍉 ‎(qino). The Indo-European root is also the source of Ancient Greek γυνή ‎(gunḗ), Slavic *žena (Old Church Slavonic жена, Russian жена), Celtic *benā (Welsh benyw), Proto-Albanian *dzwāptnjā.