The King of Hearts Didn't Make Tarts

[rosamicula]

revonrut asked why we call it the United KINGdom when we have a queen.

We do it because the words 'king' and 'queen' had very different meanings and still have different values. 'King' comes from the Anglo-Saxon cyninge which originally meant supreme (elected) military leader with an implied sacral element. Her or His Britannic Majesty is still the

Comments

[vincentdamour]

> 'Queen' comes from Old English cwean (and/or Scots Gaelic wheen?) both of which meant litle more than 'wife'.<

No! Queen comes from indoeuropean *gwen- "woman" ~ Greek gyne "woman", Gallic gweneth "woman", Danish kvinde "woman", etc.

;o)

V