Queendom

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkwiːndəm/

Definitions

1. The domain or country governed by a queen as its monarch
2. A kingdom over which a female ruler exercises authority
3. An area or realm controlled and ruled by a queen

Etymology: The word is a straightforward compound: "queen" with the suffix "-dom," which English uses to mark a domain, state, or condition. The suffix has deep roots. It descends from a Proto-Indo-European element meaning "placing" or "putting," which passed through Proto-Germanic as "dōmaz," meaning "judgment" or "doom," and later became the Old English "-dōm," used to form nouns of state or realm. Its sense of a jurisdiction or territory is what makes "kingdom" and "dukedom" parallel formations. Adding "-dom" to "queen" produced a term for a realm ruled by a woman, and the suffix's role is to express the territory or condition over which the queen holds authority. The compound follows the same pattern as "kingdom," which is formed from "king" plus the cognate suffix "-dom." Because "queen" and "king" share this suffix, English offered a natural parallel term for each.

Synonyms: kingdom, realm, domain, territory, empire

Antonyms: kingdom, misrule, anarchy, chaos, disorder