Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/gʷḗn

This Proto-Indo-European entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Indo-European

Noun

*gʷḗn f (oblique stem *gʷnéh₂-)

1. woman

Inflection

Athematic, proterokinetic
	singular
nominative	*gʷénh₂s
genitive	*gʷnéh₂s
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*gʷénh₂s	*gʷénh₂h₁(e)	*gʷénh₂es
vocative	*gʷḗn	*gʷénh₂h₁(e)	*gʷénh₂es
accusative	*gʷénh₂m̥	*gʷénh₂h₁(e)	*gʷénh₂m̥s
genitive	*gʷnéh₂s	*?	*gʷnéh₂oHom
ablative	*gʷnéh₂s	*?	*gʷnéh₂mos, *gʷnéh₂bʰos
dative	*gʷnéh₂ey	*?	*gʷnéh₂mos, *gʷnéh₂bʰos
locative	*gʷnéh₂, *gʷnéh₂i	*?	*gʷnéh₂su
instrumental	*gʷnéh₂h₁	*?	*gʷnéh₂mis, *gʷnéh₂bʰis

Descendants

• Anatolian:
  • Luwian: 𒉿𒈾𒀜𒋾𒅖 (/⁠wanattis⁠/)
• Armenian:
  • Old Armenian: կին (kin)
    • Armenian: կին (kin)
• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *génāˀ (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Celtic: *benā (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Germanic: *kwenǭ (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Germanic: *kwēniz (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Hellenic: *gʷonā (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Indo-Iranian: *ǰánHs, *gnáHs (see there for further descendants)
• Phrygian: κναικα (knaika)
• Proto-Tocharian: *ćänā (see there for further descendants)

Further reading

• “PIE *gene- *gwen-” at Language Log, 2023-08-10
• “PIE *g’enH1 and *gʷenH2 as cognates ("king" and "queen")” at Language Log, 2024-10-08