gʷen-

Woman.

1. Suffixed form *gʷen-ā-.

a. quean, from Old English cwene, woman, prostitute, wife, from Germanic *kwenōn-;

b. banshee, from Old Irish ben, woman;

c. zenana, from Persian zan, woman.

2. Suffixed lengthened-grade form *gʷēn-i-. queen, from Old English cwēn, woman, wife, queen, from Germanic *kwēniz.

3. Suffixed zero-grade form *gʷn̥-ā-. -gyne, gyno-, -gynous, -gyny; gynecocracy, gynecology, gynoecium, from Greek gunē, woman.

 

[Pokorny gᵘ̯ē̆nā 473.]

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