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Woen

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: woen

Dutch

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Etymology

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A learned back-formation from the 18th or 19th century from woensdag, the first element of which is a syncopic variation through d-weakening (compare broer and broeder) of Middle Dutch *Woeden, which may have existed as simplex or only as an element in compounds, which in turn derived from Old Dutch Wuodan (Woden), from Proto-West Germanic *Wōdan, from Proto-Germanic *Wōdanaz. Related to Dutch woeden (to rage), woede (anger) and woedend (angry). Cognate with English Woden, German Wotan, Icelandic Óðinn, Faroese Óðin, and Norwegian Nynorsk, Danish, and Swedish Oden.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ʋun/
  • Hyphenation: Woen
  • Rhymes: -un

Proper noun

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Woen m

  1. (Germanic mythology and paganism, rare) Woden/Odin, a major Germanic god often described as chief of the pantheon.
    Synonyms: Wodan, Odin
    • 1864
      Een van die afgoden, van hun eigen maaksel, was Woen, de stormwind, van waar wy nog het heidensch woord Woens-dag en Woens-wagen (...) bewaard hebben. (Gezelle, 1864)
      One of their idols, of their own creation, was Woden, the stormwind, whence we still have conserved the heathen word Wednesday and Woden's carriage (...)
    • 1926
      Die jonge kerel groeit in zijne verbeelding tot een Woen die op een gevleugeld ros door de lucht rijdt. (Stijn Streuvels, 1926)
      That young man is growing in his imagination into a Woden who rides through the skies on a winged horse.
    • 2013
      De god Woen is dus genoemd naar de opperste vervoering die onze heidense voorouders zich bij hem voorstelden.
      The god Woden is hence named after the exalted ecstasy our heathen forefathers imagined when they thought of him.

Usage notes

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Rare as simplex. More commonly encountered in compounds like woensdag, Woenstijd and Woenswagen and in toponyms like Woensdrecht and Woensel.