Where does “kviksølv” come from?
kviksølv (Danish) comes from Danish kvik, from Old Norse kvikr, from Proto-Germanic kwikwaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʷih₃wós, from Proto-Indo-European gʷeih₃w- — to live.
kviksølv (Danish): mercury
Ancestry of “kviksølv”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Danish | kvik | lively; clever, quick-witted; fast |
| 2 | Old Norse | kvikr | alive; lively, quick |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | kwikwaz | alive; lively, quick |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷih₃wós | alive, living |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷeih₃w- | to live |