ghwībh-

Shame, also pudenda. Expressive root, found only in Tocharian (in the literal meaning) and Germanic.

1. wife; hussy, from Old English wīf, woman, from Germanic *wībam, woman (with semantic weakening from the original meaning; for the semantics, compare the histories of pudendum and cunt).

2. woman, from Old English compound wīf-man(n), “woman-person, wife person,” female (as opposed to wæpen-man(n), “weapon-person,” male, with clear sexual overtones).

 

[Not in Pokorny; compare Tocharian B kwīpe and Tocharian A kip, female pudenda.]

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