Woen
Dutch
Etymology
Likely a learned back-formation from the 18th or 19th century from woensdag, the first element of which is a syncopic variation through d-weakening (compare broer and broeder) of Middle Dutch *Woeden, which may have existed as simplex or only as an element in compounds, which in turn derived from Old Dutch Wuodan (“Woden”), from Proto-West Germanic *Wōdan, from Proto-Germanic *Wōdanaz, from a pre-Germanic *Wātónos. Related to Dutch woeden (“to rage”), woede (“anger”) and woedend (“angry”). Cognate with English Woden (and wode), German Wotan and Swedish Odin.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʋun/
- Hyphenation: Woen
- Rhymes: -un
Proper noun
Woen m
- (rare) the Germanic chief god Woden or Odin
- 1864
- Een van die afgoden, van hun eigen maaksel, was Woen, de stormwind, van waar wy nog het heidensch woord Woens-dag en Woens-wagen (...) bewaard hebben. (Gezelle, 1864).
- One of their idols, of their own creation, was Woden, the stormwind, whence we still have conserved the heathen word Wednesday and Woden's carriage (...)
- 1926
- Die jonge kerel groeit in zijne verbeelding tot een Woen die op een gevleugeld ros door de lucht rijdt. (Stijn Streuvels, 1926)
- That young man is growing in his imagination into a Woden who rides through the skies on a winged horse.
- 2013
- De god Woen is dus genoemd naar de opperste vervoering die onze heidense voorouders zich bij hem voorstelden.
- The god Woden is hence named after the exalted ecstasy our heathen forefathers imagined when they thought of him.
- 1864
Usage notes
Rare as simplex. More commonly encountered in compounds like woensdag, Woenstijd and Woenswagen and in toponyms like Woensdrecht and Woensel.
Synonyms
- Wodan, Odin