释义 |
queann. Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with Middle Dutch quene older woman, also hussy (Dutch kween ), Old Saxon quena wife, old woman (Middle Low German quēne wife, woman, old woman), Old High German quena wife, woman, Gothic qino woman, and also (probably with a different ablaut grade) Old Icelandic kona (genitive plural kvinna , kvenna ) woman, wife, ultimately < the same Indo-European base as Sanskrit jani woman, wife, Old Church Slavonic žena woman, wife, Old Russian žena woman, wife (Russian žena wife), Early Irish ben woman, wife (Irish bean ), Old Welsh ben woman, wife (compare the derivative Welsh benyw (noun) woman, (adjective) female, feminine (first half of the14th cent.)), and (probably showing zero grade of the same base) Sanskrit gnā- goddess, divine female, Avestan gənā woman, wife, ancient Greek γυνή woman, wife, and also (with lengthened grade) queen n.In Old English not always possible to distinguish from forms of cwēn queen n., with which there was a degree of overlap in sense (Old English cwene is occasionally attested in sense ‘queen’: see Dict. Old Eng. s.v.). In early Middle English the vowel was lengthened to open ē , hence distinct from queen n. with close ē , although the written forms are often identical. In standard English the two sounds merged in the early modern period. Outside literary use, M. L. Samuels ( Linguistic Evolution (1972) 68) observes that continuing currency in sense 1 is mostly confined to those regional varieties in which this merger (and hence homophony with queen n.) did not occur. With sense 3 compare queen n. 13 and discussion at that entry. the world > people > person > woman > [noun] society > morality > moral evil > licentiousness > unchastity > [noun] > sexual indulgence > unchaste behaviour of woman > unchaste or loose woman OE 1 Ic wæs fæmne geong, feaxhar cwene. OE Wulfstan (Nero) (1957) 270 To manege..sceotað togædere & ane cwenan gemænum ceape bicgað gemæne, & wið þa ane fylþe adreogað. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon (Calig.) (1963) 6424 Whær-swa heo funden æine mon..þa quenen [c1300 cwenes] lude loȝen. c1300 St. Agatha (Laud) 7 in C. Horstmann (1887) 194 (MED) An old quene þare was bi-side, strong hore and baudestrote. a1325 (?a1300) in G. H. McKnight (1913) 23 (MED) Hic am anald quyne and a lam. c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. ix. 46 (MED) At churche in the charnel cheorles aren vuel to knowe, Oþer a knyght fro a knaue oþer a queyne fro a queene. 1481 W. Caxton tr. (1970) 89 The fowle olde quenes wold fayn haue beten vs. 1532 T. More Confut. Tyndale in 618/1 Tyll he..catch him a queane & cal her his wife. ?1589 T. Nashe sig. 17v All spent in a Tauerne amongst a consort of queanes and fidlers. 1627 G. Hakewill iv. vi The common queanes, which got their maintenance by that trade. 1670 G. Havers tr. G. Leti i. iii. 98 A certain paultry Queen in mans apparel, that would pass for a Lady. 1720 in W. Cramond (1886) 56 Janet Jameson called her brazen-faced quean. 1780 R. B. Sheridan iii. iii. 36 Here's to the flaunting, extravagant quean, And then to the housewife that's thrifty. 1823 Ld. Byron xcvi. 49 This martial scold, This modern Amazon and Queen of Queans. 1827 T. Hood Flowers i, in 107 The tulip is a courtly quean, Whom, therefore, I will shun. 1880 T. E. Webb tr. J. W. von Goethe iii. ii. 190 The dame's a most commodious quean, A gypsy born and go-between! 1924 E. Sitwell xiv. 47 My eyes are dim,—I yet can see You, lazy quean! Go work! 1969 10 Apr. 503/3 Nora (an old quean who thinks she's an old queen). 1991 P. O'Brian (1993) vii. 191 Dyaks and Malays led by a nasty confident quean, a bloody-minded covetous froward strumpet. the world > people > person > young person > young woman > [noun] 1488 (c1478) Hary (Adv.) (1968–9) iv. l. 786 A stalwart queyne forsuth ȝon semys to be. 1511–12 in J. B. Paul (1902) IV. 329 To the quene of the Blakfurd quhilk brocht foure fatt caponis to the king. 1574 in D. H. Fleming (1889) I. 405 [He] said to Elspet his dochtir..‘Quein! quhat auchtis to thé?’ 1619 Rec. Kirk Session Brechin 10 Aug. in at Quene And namelie lounes and queynes wha usis commonlie to run out off the kirk..befoir the hour. 1664 in W. Cramond (1893) II. 46 All the carles and quynes in Banff shold not separat James Barclay and her. 1726 W. Starrat (single sheet) Blaw up my Heart-Strings, ye Pierian Quines. 1755 R. Forbes Jrnl. London to Portsmouth in tr. Ovid (new ed.) 29 The queans wis in sik a firry-farry. a1796 R. Burns (1968) I. 326 I see her yet, the sonsy quean, That lighted up my jingle. 1817 W. Scott II. xiv. 309 It shews a kind heart in sae young a quean—Mattie's a carefu' lass. 1852 G. P. Boyd 15 As blythe an' mettle's only quine As e'er did thumb a Geordie coin. 1871 W. Alexander xxxviii. 266 I notices brawly that the quine hed been greetin. 1916 30 May 6 He got a muckle parcel frae Hilly's aul'est quine. 1921 V. Jacob 26 I'll up an' aff the morn's morn To seek some reid-haired queyn. 1958 J. Kesson x. 152 My faith ye! But ye've shot up, Quean! Ye was just a bairn the other day. 1996 W. N. Herbert 91 Noo gaither roond baith quine an loon And a nitherin screed Eh'll read. 2007 (Nexis) 2 Mar. 26 I was out celeb-spotting with my quine in London. the world > people > person > man > [noun] > effeminate man the world > physical sensation > sexual relations > sexual orientation > homosexuality > [noun] > a homosexual person > male 1910 11 41 Bitch, quean, mehr oder minder schmeichelhafte Bezeichnungen für homosexuelle Männer. 1935 D. Lamson xv. 294 We did hear startling tales..of ‘family’ life, of marriage ceremonies, of fights with knives for the favor of some ‘quean’, as the perverts are called in prison. a1967 J. R. Ackerley (1968) xii. 127 I did not want him to think me ‘queer’ and himself a part of homosexuality, a term I disliked since it included prostitutes, pansies, pouffs and queans. 1993 J. Meades (1994) 440 Danny, the fat quean who used to deal proscribed drugs in pubs. Derivatives society > morality > moral evil > licentiousness > unchastity > [noun] > sexual indulgence > womanizing or associating with loose women 1569 J. Sanford tr. H. C. Agrippa f. 119v In feastinge, queaninge, huntinge, fowlinge and attiringe. 1623 G. Fletcher i. ix. 293 Our Tipling Innes in small & vntract Hamlets, without which our Country-Diuels of drunkenesse, Blasphemy, Gaming, Lying, and Queaning, could amongst vs finde no harbor. society > morality > moral evil > licentiousness > unchastity > [adjective] > unchaste or sexually compliant (of women) > relating to 1596 P. Colse sig. B4 Thy giggish tricke, thy queanish trade, A thousand Bridewel birds hath made. 1693 T. Urquhart & P. A. Motteux tr. F. Rabelais xxxiv. 284 Queanish flurting Harlots. 2005 Re: Phony Reverend still Stupid as Ever in alt.revisionism (Usenet newsgroup) 20 June It was you who responded to a couple of Latin phrases with Russian. When you were called on it you turned all girlie and queanish. society > morality > moral evil > licentiousness > unchastity > [noun] > sexual indulgence > womanizing or associating with loose women 1568 A. Scott (1896) xxxiv. 124 Quhair hurdome ay vnhappis, With quenry, canis, and coppis. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2007; most recently modified version published online June 2022). < n.OE |