queynte

== Middle English == === Alternative forms === quaint, quaynt, quaynte, queint, queinte, queynt, qweynt, qweynte cwointe, cuinte, cwuinte, kointe (Early Middle English, West Midland) koweynte, qwent (East Anglia); qwaint, qwaynt, whaynt (Northern, Northwest Midland); qwaynte, whaynte (Catholicon Anglicum) coint, cointt, coynt, coynte, koynt, quoynt, quoynte (especially Southern, West Midland); quinte, quynte (especially Southwestern) === Etymology === Borrowed from Anglo-Norman cointe, queinte, from Latin cognitus. First attested in c. 1230. The often-discussed sense "vulva" is usually thought to be an euphemising modification of cunte (“vagina”), but may instead be at least partially a semantic extension of the other adjectival or nominal senses (e.g. "elegant, amazing", "gadget"). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkwæi̯nt(ə)/ IPA(key): /ˈk(w)ɔi̯nt(ə)/, /ˈk(w)ui̯nt(ə)/ (mostly Southern or West Midland) === Adjective === queynte (comparative queynter, superlative queyntest) intelligent, smart, well-thought, sagacious, judicious: adept, competent, well-taught deceptive, cunning, tricky wonderful, curious, extraordinary: bizarre, odd, weird esoteric, unknown, unfamiliar Related to witchcraft or the paranormal renowned, notable, recognisable sophisticated, complicated, detailed polite, kind, of good manners. stylish, trendy, beautiful, attractive boastful, prideful ==== Related terms ==== queyntise ==== Descendants ==== English: quaint Middle Scots: quent Scots: whint (Orkney) → Middle Cornish: coynt Cornish: koynt ==== References ==== “queint(e, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 20 May 2018. === Noun === queynte (rare) trick, artifice ornament, gadget (of interest) (euphemistic) vulva (female genitalia) ==== Descendants ==== English: quaint (obsolete) ==== References ==== “queint(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007. Benson, Larry D. (1984), “The "Queynte" Punnings of Chaucer's Critics”, in Studies in the Age of Chaucer: Proceedings, volume 1, the New Chaucer Society, →DOI, pages 35-41.