"young, robust woman," O.E.
cwene "woman," also "female serf, hussy, prostitute" (cf.
portcwene "public woman"), from P.Gmc.
*kwenon (cf. O.S.
quan, O.H.G.
quena, O.N.
kona, Goth.
qino "wife, woman"); see
queen. Popular 16c.-17c. in sense "hussy." Sense of "effeminate homosexual" is recorded from 1935, esp. in Australian slang.
[kween] 
