Wurdahuzdą: Proto-Germanic dictionary — *wībąScott K. ShayWardja Presshttps://protogermanic.org/pgmc_wībą
Single-entry extract from the dictionary. Cross-references to other entries point to their identifiers in the full dictionary.
*gʰwíbʰ-pudenda
nounneutera-stemwomanwifeUnknown, with a number of disputed suggestions. One suggestion connects Tocharian A/B kip/kwīpe (‘genitals, female pudenda’) (perhaps also Albanian cipë (‘sense of shame, membrane’)), for a hypothetical Proto-Indo-European *gʰwíbʰ- (‘pudenda’).Another suggestion connects Old English wǣfan (‘wrap, clothe’), Old Norse vífa (‘wrap, veil’) for a suggested original motive of "married woman wearing a scarf", though with no certain further cognates outside of Germanic.Yet another suggestion connects Old High German weibon (‘move to and fro’), Old Norse veifa (‘swing, throw’), for a motive of "one who is moving busily; housekeeper, maidservant" (cf. German Weibel (‘manservant, usher’)).