queen

Where does the word "queen" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic kwēniz, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

Queen’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: kwēniz meant “woman.” Related to Greek 'gynē', woman, as in 'gynaecology'. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as cwēn. Meant a woman, a wife, and a king's wife. It reached English by 1500s as queen. Its twin 'quean', from Old English 'cwene', sank to mean a hussy, and the two words parted ways. Today, queen means the female ruler of a kingdom, or a king's wife.

1. Stage 1 · Proto-Germanic · ancient kwēniz "woman", related to Greek 'gynē', woman, as in 'gynaecology'.
2. Stage 2 · Old English · 700s-1000s cwēn "queen, wife", meant a woman, a wife, and a king's wife.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s queen "female ruler", its twin 'quean', from Old English 'cwene', sank to mean a hussy, and the two words parted ways.