Etymology of Kven
The origin of the name Kven is unclear. The name appears for the first time in a 9th-century Old English version, written by King Alfred of Wessex, of a work by the Roman author Orosius, in the plural form Cwenas.
The term is used today by Norwegian Kvens and some Tornedalians.{{Cite book |last=Elenius |first=Lars |title=The dissolution of ancient Kvenland and the transformation of the Kvens as an ethnic group of people. On changing ethnic categorizations in communicative and collective memories |year=2019 |language=en}}
Norwegian background
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{{main|Kvens of the past}}
All ancient references to Kvenland and Kvens seem to be from Old English and Icelandic sources (9th to 13th centuries). Furthermore, most of them seem to have been connected to a certain geographical area in Norway in one way or another:
- Ottar, the source used by King Alfred of Wessex, was from Hålogaland
- Orkneyinga saga described how Nór travelled from Kvenland to Trondheim
- Egil's saga described how Thorolf travelled from Namdalen (north of Trondheim) to Kvenland
- Writer of the publication mentioning Terra Feminarum was especially familiar with Trondheim and also mentioned Hålogaland
- Kvens were mentioned 1271 to have pillaged Hålogaland
This might indicate that the term Kven was originally used in Norwegian dialects around a rather compact area ranging from Trondheim to Hålogaland.
Etymology
The widely accepted view, first presented by Jouko Vahtola,Vahtola, J. (1994), Kvenerne – vem var de ursprungligen? In: Torekoven Strøm (eed.), Report from the seminar ”Kvenene – en glemt minoritet?” 14.11.94 at the University of Tromsø/Tromsø Museum.Vahtola, J. (2001), Folk och folkgrupper inom det nordliga rummet över tid. In: Tedebrand, L.-G. & Edlund, L.-E. (ed.), Tre kulturer i möte. Kulturens frontlinjer. Papers from the research program Kulturgräns norr, 27. Published by Johan Nordlander-sällskapet, 23. Umeå. is that kven etymologically originates from Old Norse hvein, meaning "swampy land."[http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/response.cgi?single=1&basename=\data\ie\germet&text_recno=409&root=config Etymology of hvein.] Nevertheless, kven is a root which in some cases translates to "woman" in Old Norse. Proto-Germanic *kwinōn, *kunōn; *kwēni-z, *kwēnō "woman" developed into various Old Norse forms: kona; kvǟn, kvān, kvɔ̄n; kvendi; kvenna, kvinna.[http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/response.cgi?single=1&basename=\data\ie\germet&text_recno=257&root=config Etymology of kwen.] A reference to Terra Feminarum ("Woman Land") in Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum by Adam of Bremen in 1075 CE is likely a translation of Kvenland.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}} A 14th-century Icelandic manuscript describes a {{lang|is|kuenna land}} ("Woman Land") north of India populated by hermaphroditic women.[http://www.hum.ku.dk/ami/am764.html Manuscript "AM 764 4to"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060928080738/http://www.hum.ku.dk/ami/am764.html |date=2006-09-28 }}. See also [http://sagnanet.is/saganet/?MIval=/SinglePage&Manuscript=100203&Page=4723&language=english entire text in Icelandic]{{dead link|date=April 2018|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}.
Alternatively, kven may be linked to Kainuu, a region of Eastern Finland whose etymology is also disputed. Similar sounding words to "kainuu" also exist in the Sami languages. In Northern Sami, Gáidnu is a rope made of roots for boats or fishing nets. Gáidnulaŝ refers to a clumsy person and Geaidnu stands for a road or a way.Álgu-database In the early Sami dictionaries Kainolats/Kainahaljo had the meaning Norwegian or Swedish man while Kainahalja had the meaning Norwegian or Swedish women, it could also have the meaning peasant. Helsing village, close to Torneå, was referred to as Cainho.Lexicon lapponicum, Erik Lindahl, Johann Öhrling, Typis Joh. Georg. Lange, 1780"