kung (Swedish)
Where does "kung" come from?
The Swedish word 'kung' originates from the Proto-Germanic term *kuningaz, which combined words for 'clan' and a suffix indicating lineage. Rooted in the Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁-, meaning 'to beget' or 'give birth,' the word evolved from 'someone of the family' to signify one who holds power by right of birth. It traveled from Old Norse 'kongr' into modern Swedish, eventually expanding to describe both a reigning monarch and the strategic center piece in various games.
Full etymology tree
- kung (Swedish), 'a king'
- inherited kongr (Old Norse)
- inherited *kuningaz (Proto-Germanic), 'king'
- compound *kunją (Proto-Germanic), 'kin, family, clan'
- derived *ǵenh₁- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to produce; to beget; to give birth'
- affix *-yóm (Proto-Indo-European)
- compound *-ingaz (Proto-Germanic), 'Forms derivatives of nouns with sense of 'belonging to, coming from, descending from'.'
- derived *-n̥kʷo- (Proto-Indo-European)
- compound *kunją (Proto-Germanic), 'kin, family, clan'
- inherited *kuningaz (Proto-Germanic), 'king'
- inherited kongr (Old Norse)
Ancestors
- *ǵenh₁- (Proto-Indo-European)
- *kuningaz (Proto-Germanic)
Descendants and derived words
- för kung och fosterland (Swedish)
- kungabesök (Swedish)
- Kungabok (Swedish)
- kungadöme (Swedish)
- kungafamilj (Swedish)
- kungahus (Swedish)
- kungamakare (Swedish)
- kungamord (Swedish)
- kungamördare (Swedish)
- kungapar (Swedish)
- kungarike (Swedish)
- kunglig (Swedish)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris