quean

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*gʷḗn“woman”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*kwenǭ“woman”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*kwenā
4. Old English · inherited fromcwene“woman, female serf”
5. Middle English · inherited fromquene“young, robust woman”
6. English todayquean

From Middle English quene (“young, robust woman”), from Old English cwene (“woman, female serf”), from Proto-West Germanic *kwenā, from Proto-Germanic *kwenǭ (“woman”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn (“woman”). Doublet of gyne and queen. Cognate with Dutch kween (“a barren woman, a barren cow”), Low German quene (“barren cow, heifer”), German Kone (“wife”), Swedish kvinna (“woman”), Icelandic kona (“woman”), Gothic 𐌵𐌹𐌽𐍉 (qinō, “woman”), 𐌵𐌴𐌽𐍃 (qēns, “wife”).

First known use, by meaning

• from 10th c. A woman, now especially an impudent or disreputable woman; a prostitute.
• from 15th c. A young woman, a girl; a daughter.