cwen
See also: cƿen
Old English
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *kwēniz (“woman, wife”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn. Cognate with Old Saxon quān, Old Norse kvæn, Gothic 𐌵𐌴𐌽𐍃 (qēns). 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/
Noun
cwēn f
- queen
- Engla cwēn
- The queen of England
- Sēo cwēn wafode holdlīċe tō þām folce.
- The queen waved graciously to the people.
- Se cyning and sēo cwēn þanciaþ þē þīnre þeġnunge.
- The king and queen thank you for your service.
- woman
- wife
Declension
Declension of cwen (strong i-stem)
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | cwēn | cwēne, cwēna |
| accusative | cwēn, cwēne | cwēne, cwēna |
| genitive | cwēne | cwēna |
| dative | cwēne | cwēnum |
Synonyms
- cyninge
Related terms
- cwene (“woman, wife”)
Descendants
- Middle English: quene
- English: quean, queen